My first camera was a Yashica 35 mm film model with an attached lens. I remember well the day I purchased that camera with my hard-earned babysitting money at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school. I was 15 and completely convinced that I would someday become a photographer for National Geographic and travel the world in search of the perfect, award-winning photo.
While I haven’t become an internationally famous shutterbug, I have over the years taken some pretty decent photos. A stint as a family photographer taught me the skill of posing people for portraits and how to wrangle a smile from an unsure toddler. Nature photos on vacations and working for an ad agency taught me the art of capturing special moments that happen in the blink of an eye.
And now, having come into the world of digital photography, I’ve recently started shooting for money … photos, that is. I’ve shot some senior pictures and several weddings over the last year or so, and it’s been a complete blast of fun and excitement.
Weddings are such unique and special events in the lives not only of the bride and groom but those of extended family and friends as well. Most often, weddings are happy, joyful events, and everyone involved has a great time. But there are some that are not so happy … families are in conflict, a loved one is missing, the young woman becomes “Bridezilla” the day of the ceremony, and so on. I’ve been fortunate to photograph many more happy ceremonies than sad, which makes my job even more fun.
Perhaps it’s because the older I get, the more I seem to focus on eternity, but I often find myself thinking of heaven as I’m photographing a wedding. In particular, I think often of the wedding feast of the Lamb that is described in Revelation 19: 7-9. Joy, happiness and unbridled praise for our Lord will accompany the magnificent celebration that God has planned for those who have loved and faithfully served Him while on earth. While the confidence of being present at God’s ultimate wedding reception brings me great hope and anticipation, I am also saddened when I see the multitudes that will never be part of that celebration.
God has given each of us the opportunity to say, “I do.”
Are you coming to the party?
“Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’” Revelation 19:9
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