Many times we see picture perfect moments. Moments of time that were captured when the make up was perfect, the smile was perfect, the background was carefully picked and the lighting was just right. Picture perfect moments give us a false sense of the reality of what someone is actually going through. There are so many people that have so many problems, but you would never know or never think to ask because their pictures look great on instagram and facebook. People don’t share the uncomely photos…you know, the ones that don’t show them in the best “light.” People don’t want to show what happens when the camera is off. No one wants you to see what really goes on behind the lens. Struggle is often not represented in the photos we display. Instead we show the retouched versions of our lives, but to me there is so much beauty in the struggle.
The photo at the top of this page is not the best. My eyes were tired and my make up was not the best and I was actually really struggling physically on this day, but I still felt beautiful even in my struggle so I decided to capture the moment. I never want to only show people the “glamorous” sides of my life or the picture perfect moments of my life. I want to include my struggle, because people need to know that you can do ANYTHING with the help of the Lord. People need to see the beauty in the struggle. People need to see that pain produces power!
I told the Lord that I was available for His use and I meant it, but what did that really look like in my eyes? Well, at the time it was more like…I’ll sing for You, I’ll speak for You, I’ll tell people I meet about You, but what I didn’t realize was God wanted to use my entire life as a testimony of His great power not just the good moments. He was going to use the pain and struggle in my life to produce beautiful fruit. When I came to realize that even the worst moments were still beautiful and powerful I began to see what God was actually trying to do with me. God wants me to share my story not hide it. God wants me to show people my scars not cover them. In doing this I will produce the fruit that God wants and bring glory to His name.
My goal is to please God in everything that I do. In showing some of the behind the lens moments in my life, I pray that it helps someone and shows someone that they are not alone. Everyone has bad days, and everyone has trials. It’s our job to learn, grow and help others along the way. My prayer is that when you visit my site you see a regular woman who has been able to do some pretty amazing things because God is with her. I hope that you are inspired and I hope you can start to see the beauty in your struggle.