I'm Melissa: Portrait Project -ODM 10/09 Graduates

This past Saturday me and my team of girls headed back to the Open Door Mission for another round of the Portrait Project.

"Wow"...I've been saying that a lot to myself this week.

As always, God showed up in cool unexpected ways. But, He does that quite frequently so you'd think I'd be used to it by now....
...but, I'm not.
Every time I surrender myself to His greater plan I'm left floored and speechless at the results which can only be described as divine intervention...
or what I like to call, "a total God-thing."
You can't sum it up as anything else.
It's all God. Every time. No exceptions.

This time around I photographed...
one man.
two single women.
a single mom and her son.
a single woman with her two teenagers.
a married mom with her daughter, and one on the way.
a mom and dad with their 5 kids, and one on the way.

The day was filled with incredibleness. And every moment is noteworthy....
I loved seeing Carla, a single mom we met in April, back again, but this time as a graduate and ready for her moment in the spotlight.
I loved seeing two sisters that I previously photographed this summer at Royal Family Kids Camp reunited with their family. When we met them in June they were living in foster care. Now, they are a testimony of God's ability to restore brokenness, as both parents are graduating from the program and have regained all parental rights. Amen. Amen. Amen.
I loved touching the softest skin I've ever felt on an African refugee and seeing her laugh and smile and goof around even though she felt awkward.
I loved telling the single man how handsome and distinguished he looks after he tried to tell me he was un-photogenic. (he had the whole mission swooning)
I loved giving another single woman her "princess moment" as she described it.
I loved that the five girls that came along, Holly, Amy, Kara, Liz, and Nicole,.. I was the one with the most down time.
I loved that God used them to pamper women, teenagers, and little girls who didn't know what it was like to have their hair and make-up done.

I loved that God used their hands to be His hands.

I love that God used their words to speak His words.

I love that God used their love to show His love.

Every face we met told a story. Every face left a mark. And every face is uniquely beautiful.

I just wish they knew how uniquely beautiful they are.

Sadly, most, if not all of them don't. They have no idea. It doesn't even cross their mind that they possess beauty. Quite the opposite actually. Most of the men, women, and children living in a homeless shelter, struggling with poverty and addiction hold themselves in the lowest regard imaginable.
And as much as I thought I "got" this aspect of their lives, God brought it face to face with me on Saturday. Here is my most standout moment from the day....
...I was suppose to photograph a third single woman that day, but on Friday evening she decided she just couldn't muster up the confidence to go through with the shoot. So I asked Ronda (the assistant director of Lydia House) if she would try talking to her one more time, and if the answer was still "no" if she would come down to the chapel just to talk with me for a minute.
I honestly wasn't expecting her to come talk to me at all.
It was one of those things you say and don't really expect the person to take you up on.
Well, I was wrong.
I had about ten minutes of down time while the next girl was finishing up her pampering so I went into the cafeteria and she was in there waiting to talk to me. We stepped back in the chapel just the two of us...and we started to talk...
She told me how her family doesn't know she's graduating from a rehab program.
She told me how she doesn't want to look back on these pictures and be reminded of this dark time in her life.
She told me she doesn't want me to waste my time on her.
She told me she didn't want to be photographed looking the way she does.

Then I told her some things....
I told her she is worthy of our time.
I told her these pictures are to remind her of her promising future.
I told her that she is beautiful.
I told her more importantly God thinks she's beautiful.
I told her when she's ready to stand in front of a camera, to let Ronda know, and I will come back to take her picture.

I needed this moment.
I loved talking with her even more than I would have loved photographing her.
And so now I pray. I'm praying that day will come. I'm praying that one day she will see her unique God given beauty and have the confidence to be photographed in celebration of her.

"Lord, may every face you placed in our lives that day come to know your perfect unfailing love for them. May they no longer see their past reflected in the image they see in the mirror. May they stand in confidence of the person you created them to be. You are the creator of beauty and I pray that through your unrelenting love that they would be able to see themselves through your eyes, and in turn be able to share the good news of your love with others who need it."

"How you made me is amazing and wonderful"- Psalm 139:14