Framed

I love seeing pictures of our grandchildren posted on internet, but then I am not satisfied until I have the photos in my hand!  When we were in Georgia for Thanksgiving, my 15-year-old granddaughter helped me transfer some from Facebook via a kiosk in the photo department of a local drugstore.  I haven't found that convenience at home, so I was so happy to get the sweet pictures.  I slipped them into the padded envelope provided by the photo service, added a couple more I'd gotten on the trip, placed them on the dresser and packed our luggage.

"Where are my pictures?" I cried when we got home and I had searched every bag, purse and carry-on  we had taken with us.  They were nowhere to be found. A telephone call to my daughter confirmed that I had left them on the dresser of our granddaughter's room!  Amy promised to send them right away.  I tried to restrain myself from reminding her after a week, but then two weeks went by.  By then, she had found items her father had left and would mail them all together.

Watching the mail, I was sure the box would be delivered after a week.  No box.  But there was a package on our neighbor's porch of just the right size!  It lay there tantalizingly all day, and finally I got  my husband to ask if it were our package delivered there by mistake.  "No, but I'll tell you if it comes here!" our neighbor laughed.

At long last the package came.  I proudly shared the pictures with family and friends, then decided to frame some of them.  I went to Hobby Lobby and selected some handsome frames a few days ago and started framing them as soon as I got home.  Oops, the 5x7's wouldn't fit, due to the white border the photo developing had added.  I trimmed them laboriously and got them inside.

A larger, matted  frame had a narrow ribbon going from the cardboard stand to the velvety back of the frame for added stability.  When I couldn't pry the backing loose to insert the photo, I tried to pull it up by the ribbon, and the ribbon  popped off (of course). Attempting to glue it back, I saw it had tiny prongs that should re-attach, but nothing worked, so I let it go.  Some smaller pictures kept slipping sideways as I centered and added padding to make them fit in a double, silver frame I had.  At last I was satisified with the results.

It was a lot of work and effort, but I know it was worth it when I walk through the rooms and see the smiling faces of family.  I saw a cute saying on a church sign that said, "If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it."  I know the feeling!  Think of what it took to make us part of His family.  His Son came personally the long distance from Heaven to be delivered to a manger in a stable, His baby years being spent in exile in Egypt.  Then long years were invested in preparing for and awaiting His destiny so we would have a home in heaven.  How God must love His children!