New York Photos
A New York photographer sat outside a subway station for 10 years and took photos of the people going by. As he looked over his photos he realised he had photographed a lot of the same people as they had arrived into town for work each day.
He was able to see how much they had aged over the 10 years and also how life had changed for them. It was intriguing how similar their behaviours were over the time he took the photos. How they drank the same coffee every morning, listened to their ipod every morning or wore similar clothes each day.
We tend to be people of habit.
But what intrigued me was how these people looked when they didn’t realise anyone was watching them, let alone taking photos of them! Being the morning, most were fairly focussed, stern looking people on their way to work. But one lady stood out to me.
Across the years she wore the same coloured clothing, she had the same handbag and she even held the same hairstyle. But what was most outstanding was in every photo displayed she had a wonderful smile on her face. She didn’t know someone was interested in her, she didn’t realise she was the subject of some photography, she was just beaming out at the world she was engaged in.
Part of me wonders what she was so happy about. Did she have a wonderful partner who encouraged her as she walked out the door? Did she have an incredible job that she just couldn’t wait to get to each morning? Or did she know that God loves her so much that He gave His only son so she could live in freedom without the guilt of sin?
God offers that to everyone, and yet so often we still walk around like we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Yes, we have good days and bad days and we are not called to be “happy for Jesus”. But if each and every day we started off acknowledging the unconditional, all consuming, ever-powerful love of Christ then I think we would be hard pressed not to smile as well.
Lord, You have given us so much and asked for so little. May we live in the knowledge that Your love is new and immense every day. Amen.
How does God’s love make you feel?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.