One of the delights of photographing children is that they get such a kick out of seeing their image on the view screen of the camera. When I’m photographing kids’ activities at The City Mission they surround me quickly to see their image. There’s a a chorus of, “Lemme see, lemme see!” Today one little boy about 3 years old gazed for a long time at his image with a gentle sense of wonder and intrigue in his eyes. I wish I could have captured his expression and his thoughts.
It seems the older we get the less we like looking at our image. The hair is too thin, the cheeks too chubby, the eyes not set quite right. Then life’s difficulties take their toll and we start to see it written on our faces. We want to forget certain things but they stare back at us in the mirror.
When women first come to The City Mission’s shelter at Laura’s Home, it is often easy to see the heaviness weighing on them. The deep sadness of having failed so miserably, fear of all the unknowns or anger at how they’ve been hurt so badly. The longer they stay and the more they grasp the genuine hope that is offered, then the more we see the shadows lifting from their lives and their faces. Watching the transformation is pure joy.
Today I encountered two such women in the hallway, successfully encouraging a third woman who was having a hard time dealing with some family disappointments. One woman said her mother had introduced her to crack cocaine when she was in her teens. That started her journey of chaos and heartbreak. She knew full well how badly she had messed up her life, but likewise she knew how much she had been forgiven and that gave her the freedom to forgive others. She said her life turned the corner to a promising future when she turned her back on resentment and forgave her mother.
When we see lives transformed before our eyes we better understand what the apostle Paul was saying in 2 Corinthians 5: 16- “…we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. … Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
The same can be true for any one of us. Our lives don’t have to be overshadowed by our past or our imperfections and frailties. Instead, when we look in the mirror we can choose to see a life marked by God’s grace and forgiveness.
When we look into the manger this Christmas, let us be as little children, eyes bright with wonder and hope. “Let me see!”
