What are you talking about, Sabrina??  Of course my photos are for me.  Why else would I hire you to capture my wedding day/birth/senior portraits?

Well, here’s the thing.  We were created to be in community.  We have family around us, friends that we hang out with, and co-workers that we see on a regular basis (whatever your work may be, we all have co-workers in some form or fashion!).  And from what I can tell when I look at my own family, friends and co-workers is that I love them for who they ARE.  I love their smiles, the way their nose wrinkles when they laugh, and the way they care for others around them.  And when I see photos of them, THAT is what I see.

Unfortunately, I’ll find myself looking at photos of me and dissecting what I look like…. such as this post baby tummy that hasn’t gone away yet.  Or the double chin that I see in a photo of me as I look down at my baby girl.  But my guess is that if you guys saw these same photos, you may not even notice those things.  I don’t say that to sound vain at all, but I say it because I wouldn’t notice those things in photos of YOU!  Besides, those photos that I’m in?  Those photos that you’re in (or the ones that you refuse to be in??)?  They aren’t actually for you.

I personally don’t know too many people who have large photos of just themselves (with no one else in them) covering every surface of their homes.  Yes there are exceptions to this… like maybe a graduation photo or an image of a trip to a different country with the city skyline as the backdrop.  However, for the most part, the photos that people have around their homes have family and friends filling the frames.  And if you went to the homes of those family and friends?  They’d have photos with YOU in them, that is, if you’ve agreed to be in photos.

We all have things about us that we don’t love.  That 10 (or more) pounds that just won’t go away.  That double chin I get when I look down at my sweet baby girl.  The roots in our hair that we just can’t find the time to touch up.  Or maybe you have a scar that you feel like protrudes in every photo you have taken.  But the truth of the matter is that we are always going to be more critical of ourselves than others are… and we should actually take lessons from the other people in our lives because what they see is a beautiful (or handsome) person that God created.

So, my challenge to you is to try and see yourself as God sees you.  He created you just as you are, in His image.  And no matter what flaws you may see in yourself, look in the mirror today and say out loud that, “God doesn’t make mistakes.”  And after you’ve done that, go and take a selfie with a friend, spouse, your kids or a coworker.  It will be good for you and they will love it!

My friend Kim took this photo of me and Catherine just 5 weeks after she was born.  And at first, all I saw was my double chin,  my post-baby baby bump, and how I still couldn’t wear my wedding rings because of the baby weight.  But now, all I see is how small my little girl was!  And I bet you, 10 or 20 years from now, that’s all that Catherine will see too :-)