Many of you may know, but for those you don’t; not only am I a blogger, but also a photographer. In this field, I meet many different people of all different ethnicity, color, shape, & form. I’ve photographed weddings, events, seniors, families, newborns, and more…. Each time I go to a shoot I get nervous. Will they be ok with me as a photographer? Will they like the end edits? Will they be satisfied? I may look calm & collected, but inside I’m a wreck. Planning each of our next moves. Smile here, turn here, move your hair this way…. I have to act confident to give confidence…. Each time I just pray that I am in the right field & I will do what I’m needed to do.
After the shoot is when I sit down and get personal with the clients facial features. I sort through thousands of photos and choose the best ones. I drop them into photoshop and begin the edit. I know this sounds all crazy to put on a Christian blog, but what if we are acting like Photoshopped Christians? This thought crossed my mind as I was editing early this morning…..
You see in Photoshop I can take way your blemishes, wrinkles, scars that you hate. I can brighten your eyes and whiten your teeth. I often times fix your pose, and soften your skin. I make sure you look like you’ve had your beauty sleep & prefect in every way…. Is it you? Yes. It’s the best you. The you that you want to see. The you that you want to look like everyday.
In a society that thrives on selfies – photoshop is everywhere. Magazines, book covers, Instagram, face book. We scroll through thousands of Doctored photos daily, but can we distinguish the fake from reality?
In church we do the same. We get up Doctor ourselves up. Apply makeup to hide our bags under our eyes. We fix our hair just right. We brush our teeth, to stand there and stare at them in the mirror wishing they were whiter. We look and pray that no one can see the blemish that came up over night. We often throw insults at ourselves about our looks or weight. To then rush out the door forgetting our bibles laying on the couch because we was to busy photoshopping our lives. Making each move perfect. Each word that passes through our lips sound intelligent & wise. We smile even if we are sad and broken. We then proceed to our pew…to finally notice that your bible is at home laying in the couch. If we was true with yourself we probably haven’t opened it in days maybe weeks. It hits you then…reality…. Your perfect façade crashes to the ground. Embarrassed you try to play it off. Taking notes, maybe even trying to force worship because that’s what your there for…. Isn’t that why your there? To show people you love God? You may have tripped but you; you piece your “perfect world” back together. No one to notice… We can’t see through your photoshop skills. You the shake the preachers hand, leaving that place to miss the sermon completely because you skipped breakfast and your starving. Smiling and telling people you’ll see them next week, to get in your car and drive off as if you never been there…. That’s what your supposed to do isn’t it? …
You see just like that blemish I hide in your photoshopped photo that you can no longer see, I can. I can see it because I know what the before photo looked like. Just like your photoshopped photo, you seem happy and excited; but no one knows but me that it took millions of try’s to get you that one photo. Retake after retake, and thousands of pep talks to boost your confidence to get you not to give up. You see, just as I take your photo & edit, and sort through all the bad for that one photo. God does that to us…. He takes our photo daily. Begging us to smile, Telling us we don’t need photoshop; because through him we are made perfect. We are to scared to trust him. That’s why we try to hide our feelings we try to blur the edges of our faith.
If we would only see what he sees, we wouldn’t need to be photoshopped Christians in the world. We would not leave our bibles in the couch; we would have it in our hands, because we couldn’t get enough of it. We wouldn’t have to force worship, because it would be natural. There wouldn’t be a need to “touch ups” because our photos would be ready to print . Instead we choose to be shackled in chains of fear, self doubt, sin, etc. We would be begging to be in Gods photos… Instead we are running away from his camera to our own. It’s like hiring a professional photographer to shoot your wedding on your iPhone, because you don’t trust their equipment…
Why do we do that to God? He knows every flaw- just as I know where that hidden blemish is that has been photoshopped. He knows our fears and doubts. He knows when we are broken and when we are excited. You see if you ask God to be your photographer- your photos will always turn out perfect… If you remember God warns us about wolves in Sheeps clothing. What that means is fake Christians, sinners, demons, ect, acting like true followers of Christ. Or in other words- a photoshopped Christian… Don’t be fooled by others façade. They are just as broken as you are. The sooner we all realize that the better off we will be. The better our worship will be, because we all have fallen short of the glory of God. God doesn’t care how good you are at “Photoshopping” your life. He cares that you cry out to him . So please- put down your pride. Take a step back and allow God to see you for you. Allow Others to see your before photo. There is someone out there that needs to see they are not alone. Be the real photo in a photoshopped world. Don’t hide your faith by blurring the lines. Be crisp, sharp, and focused on God. And I promise you- he will make sure that your life looks better than the fake poorly Doctored photoshopped lives out their. I’m not saying you will get it right in one take, but the journey will be worth it in the end – and so will your photo….
Thank you,
Marli
Just Being Marli 