Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Worth a Thousand Words

My niece is looking for a picture of her mom. My sister passed away several years ago, and apparently, like the rest of us siblings, there were not many pictures of her early years. But Darla has heard of a particular photograph, one I remember well, of my sister at age 2 or so, sitting with our older sisters, probably 4 and 6. It was a precious studio portrait, with the smiling little misses dressed in matching outfits and sailor hats. My oldest sister remembers the dresses. She said she wore a pink one, the middle sister wore a blue one, and the baby sister's was white.

We can't imagine what happened to the picture, although I had not seen it in many years. I remember it among the family pictures Mama kept in a box that I would go through sometimes when visiting home. I wasn't able to there when my mother's things were dispersed when she passed away, but I did receive a packet of pictures of my own family and the children that I had given to her as they were growing up.

My niece has sent messages to all the family via internet to see if anyone might have the picture. Since her search has been futile so far, I suggested that she try Mama's family, or what is left of them. One brother, my favorite uncle, used to visit us with his family when I was little and would often take pictures of us. Unfortunately, all of Mama's siblings have passed away, too, but I gave Darla the name of a cousin, Uncle Robert's son. She found him on the internet and called this 2nd cousin she had never met, but although he was very kind and would have helped, he had no pictures of any of our family.

It would be a miracle if the lost picture is located, but if it exists, my sister's daughter is determined to find it. She has a bit of her mother in her.

We have no pictures of Jesus. Cameras hadn't been invented then, although I'm sure there were artists who painted pictures, but there are no known likenesses of our Lord. The only description we have of Him was the prophetic one of Isaiah 53:2, which says, "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."

This may have been a foresight of his disfigurement on the cross, but at any rate we have the idea that he was an ordinary-looking person of his day. Of his early years, we are told in Luke 2:52, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

I used to have a picture called, "Jesus Laughing." It was an artist's rendition of how he saw Jesus. It probably was not too far off, because Jesus surely had an attractive, even magnetic, personality. He kidded his disciples, calling James and John "the sons of thunder." Many of his comments were wry and tongue-in-cheek, often witty and and always wise.

Some religions and beliefs have held it is wrong to take pictures, based on Exodus 20:4, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image," which is actually referring to an object of worship.

I love pictures of loved ones. Now I even get to see them real time on Skype or FaceTime. I no longer have to wonder how baby Isaac is growing and changing. I can see for myself! I hope Darla finds her picture, but whether she does or not, the memories she holds of her mother will never leave her heart.

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