Blog for today

WHAT THE PICTURES DON’T SHOW

My husband has been going through boxes and albums full of photographs, trying to digitize almost five decades of our life together. We’ve been married for 46 years, and if you add the two years we dated before that, well—that’s a lot of life. A lot of memories. A lot of laughter. A lot of people. A lot of places. And a whole lot of God.

As Dwight has been sorting through those pictures, something really stood out to both of us. The pictures tell our story—but they don't tell the whole story. They show birthdays and Christmas mornings, vacations and adventures, family gatherings and celebrations. They show children growing up and friends who walked with us through different seasons of life. They show smiling faces, beautiful places, accomplishments, ministry, travel, and moments we never wanted to forget.

What they don't show are the nights we cried ourselves to sleep. They don't show the betrayals. They don't show the embezzlement we experienced in business. They don't show the false accusations. They don't show the heartbreak of watching children we loved step away from the path of righteousness, even if only for a season. They don't show the prayers we prayed when there seemed to be no answer. They don't show those moments when your heart is so broken that you wonder how you’ll ever put the pieces back together. There are no photographs of those moments.

But Someone was there. God. Looking through those pictures reminds me that while the camera was capturing the visible story of our lives, God was writing another story underneath it. He was there in every valley. He was there in every betrayal. He was there when people misunderstood us. He was there when we didn't know what to do next. He was there when our hearts were broken. He was there when circumstances looked impossible. And through all of it, we had something to hold onto: God and His Word.

His promises became our anchor in the storms of life. There were times when circumstances screamed one thing while the Word of God said another. We had to decide which one we were going to believe. Again and again, we chose His Word. Not perfectly. Sometimes with tears streaming down our faces. Sometimes with questions. Sometimes hanging on by what felt like a thread. But we kept hanging on. And that thread turned out to be stronger than everything trying to break us.

BUT GOD

Those may be two of my favorite words in the Bible. But God. The enemy had a plan. But God. People disappointed us. But God. Circumstances looked impossible. But God. We couldn't see a way through. But God. Again and again, He came to our rescue.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Notice that Scripture doesn't say all things are good. Some things are terribly painful. Betrayal isn't good. Loss isn't good. Watching someone you love make destructive choices isn't good. Being falsely accused isn't good. But God has this amazing ability to take what the enemy meant for destruction and weave it into something that ultimately serves His purposes.

Joseph understood that. After being betrayed by his own brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and falsely accused, he eventually stood before the very people who had hurt him and said: “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” —Genesis 50:20. There are those words again. But God. After nearly five decades together, Dwight and I can look back and say the same thing. There were things intended to destroy us. They didn't. There were things that could have destroyed our marriage. They didn't. There were things that could have caused us to walk away from ministry. We didn't. There were moments when giving up would have been easier than continuing. But here we are. Not because we were so strong. Because God was faithful.

THE PICTURES BETWEEN THE STORMS

There is something else I noticed about those photographs. Between the trials, there was so much joy. So much life. So much laughter. So many adventures. So many wonderful people. So many meals around tables. So many celebrations. So many places we were blessed to see. So many people God allowed us to love. Sometimes when you're going through a difficult season, the pain gets so loud that you forget how much goodness surrounds it. Pictures have a wonderful way of reminding you.

Looking back, I realize just how incredibly blessed we’ve been. There were people who came into our lives who didn't love us well. That's part of life. But there were so many who did. People who prayed with us. People who laughed with us. People who traveled with us. People who served beside us. People who became family even though we didn't share the same blood. And most importantly, through every photograph and every season between those photographs, there was the unseen hand of God. He was there.

WE ARE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

After all these years, I wish I could tell you that we've arrived. We haven't. We're still learning. Still growing. Still being corrected. Still being changed. Still discovering areas of our hearts that God wants to transform. We’re still very much a work in progress.

But there are some things I don't wonder about anymore. God is real. I know that. God loves me. I know that. God has been faithful. I know that. God is not finished with me. I know that too.

“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

At this stage of my life, that promise means more to me than ever. I’m not looking backward because I believe the best is behind me. I'm looking backward because seeing His faithfulness yesterday gives me confidence for tomorrow. The same God who carried us through everything represented—and not represented—in those photographs is already waiting in our future. And I believe there is still work to do. There are still people to love. There are still souls to reach. There are still prayers to pray. There are still adventures to experience. There are still assignments from God to complete. And after this earthly life is finished, the greatest adventure of all begins. Eternity with Him.

WHEN YOUR OWN PICTURES TELL THE STORY

Maybe someday you’ll sit down with your own photographs. Look carefully. Don't just look at the people in them. Remember what was happening between the pictures. Remember the prayers God answered. Remember the doors He opened. Remember the times He protected you and you didn't even realize it. Remember the things you thought would destroy you—but didn't. Remember the people He sent at exactly the right moment. Remember the provision. Remember the mercy. Remember the grace.

And maybe you'll discover what I have discovered: Your life is filled with evidence of the faithfulness of God. We’ve been blessed beyond description. You simply cannot outgive God. His generosity overwhelms me. His grace humbles me. His mercy astonishes me. He has given us so much more than we deserve.

And when I look back over nearly five decades of photographs, I don't just see our life. I see His faithfulness woven through it. The pictures captured the memories. The wrinkles remind me that some time has passed! But the scars tell another story. God brought us through. And when the final photograph of this earthly life has been taken, and I step from this life into eternity, I already know what I’ll be doing. I’ll be praising the One who was there through every single moment. The One who never left. The One who never changed. The One who took what was meant for evil and turned it for good. The One who loved me when I didn't deserve it. The One who saved me. The One who carried me. The One who is still writing my story.

But God. Two little words. Nearly five decades of evidence. And an eternity to thank Him.