photographic

I was making photographs in the darkroom today. I love working in the darkroom. It is probably the only time during my day that I'm wholly devoted to just one thing. It's dark, warm, quiet, and there's soothing sounds of the clicks of the enlarger and the running water of the wash.  I tend to do my best thinking, praying, and living in that little, dusty, rusty, room. 

Anyway, as I worked today, I became fascinated with how much I'm like a photograph. How much everyone's like a photograph.

We start out in complete darkness. We aren't anything. Just this blank sheet of paper that smells weird. We know nothing but darkness and ourselves.

Then the light -oh brilliant light, light that some mysterious, omnipotent force gives- paints all over us. We become something then. We have mistakes and irregularities but the light fills them in and makes them something new. 

Then we go through the developer. It's awful and strong and stings but it makes us who we are. The Maker can see us a little in the dark. They smile knowing that this time of trial will be "stopped" soon. (hehehe photography pun. the stop is what the next chemical's called...) 

There's a verse in Lamentations that says "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth." That makes so much sense to me. I'm not saying I face incredible trials. But I feel that being young is incredibly difficult-much more difficult than we young people want to admit. 

Anyway, the pain stops. And then we are fixed (in the fixer...) into who we were meant to be. This process is very long and the waiting almost kills us. 

Then the Maker washes us in the water.  We are who we are. Now we are made clean. 

When the Maker fills the darkroom with light and looks at the work they have done, they are pleased. 

I am always pleased when I get to my final print. There's nothing like looking at something beautiful that you have labored over. 

I spent an hour and a half on a print the other day. When it was finished, I smiled and exclaimed a joyful "yes!" 

Then I thought, "that's what God the Father does when He sees me." 

He exclaims "Yes!" over you. Because He made you. And He made you beautiful. 

He painted you with light.

You should listen to this song. It is my heart's cry. Let my life please You.

So yeah, we're all like photographs.