What the Pictures Won’t Show

This morning, the scale said I was down 0.2 pounds.

Not a huge number, but it’s something. A small win.

I’ve been working on losing a little weight lately. Not chasing a resolution or some magic number, just trying to be intentional. Because our youngest son is getting married in less than a month. And like most dads, I’ll be in a lot of pictures.

Some posed. Some candid. Some we won’t even know are being taken.

The thing is, everyone around me already sees what I look like. But pictures freeze it. They capture a moment and hand it back to us. And in a way, they last longer than the day itself.

And I’ve been thinking about that.

Some days I see progress. Some days I don’t. Some days the numbers go up instead of down. But this morning felt like a small win. It was a reminder that change takes time and that even a fraction of movement in the right direction is still worth celebrating.

But it also reminded me of something bigger.

Because while pictures capture what people see, there’s a whole other part of our life that can’t be filtered, edited, or cropped. And that’s what God sees.

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

The photos will show what I wore.
How I stood.
Whether I trimmed a few pounds or not.

But they won’t show the prayers I’ve prayed for my son.
They won’t show the peace I’m asking God to help me carry.
They won’t show the gratitude, the humility, the love I feel watching this season unfold.

Only God sees that.

And I want Him to see something deeper than the lens ever could.

So yes, I’ll keep working on my health goals. I’ll try to smile like a normal human in every picture. I’ll iron my shirt and wear the right tie and celebrate the big day.

But more than that, I want to carry a spirit that’s anchored.
A heart that’s engaged.
A presence that reflects something more than what people see.

Because one day the photos will fade. But the legacy I leave will not.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, help me be intentional not just with how I look, but with who I am becoming.
Thank You for seeing the parts of me no one else can see.
Grow me in grace.
Make my heart reflect Your presence more than my appearance ever could.
Amen.