A special moment memorialized

As I sat watching the ocean while my family threw a frisbee, another family came to the after dinner quiet beach. It was clear this huge group was related, as everyone wore khaki pants and a bright white shirt. The children looked clean and scrubbed. One man lugged a huge camera bag which he opened to reveal scores of large heavy fancy lenses. He looked very important with a professional tripod and massive lenses that he began screwing on to the large camera with its many
buttons. The children who ran like lemmings toward the sea were abrubtly stopped by myriad parents shouting "don't get dirty!" in unison. Even someone like me, drenched in hours of sun and heat could clearly see this was a large family reunion about to commemorate the blessing of family with a portrait on the beach.

The self important cameraman was also a family member evidenced by the khaki and white uniform. While he busily was exchanging lenses and checking various meters on his camera, anxious mothers were pulling little boys by their freshly scrubbed ears out of big wet sand piles. Mothers of little girls were pushing down billowing white sundresses that the wind was nearly whipping off their bodies. A small baby was being jiggled furiously as she was fast asleep and the photo must have required her eyes be open. A headband drifted perilously close to her eyes as the wind and jiggling displaced it inch by inch.

The camera man was still screwing on lenses and his face was growing redder. I saw some consultation going on with what looked to be a brother.
"Good light?" smiled the brother.
"Too much wind," growled the camera man.

Children were growing increasingly antsy and spots of sand were beginning to form on pristine white shirts. The alpha mom, there is one in every bunch, knew time was growing short. She organized kids in groups, presumably by nuclear family, and everyone pulled out their travel Polaroid and began snapping pictures. The matriarch of the group removed a plastic bag that was over her hair and the wind instantly turned it into a rats nest.

Meanwhile, the activity of the camerman was clearly growing more frantic and accelerated.
He was now mumbling to himself and it was clear his mother had never washed his mouth out with soap when certain words slipped into his lexicon.
His cheery brother returned and asked again," Lighting good? Just about ready?"
The cameraman swore that his (choice word) camera was ruined and just like he had warned everyone, it was too windy and his camera was now useless. He zipped his professional equipment bag and began to storm away.

Meanwhile, the baby, wedged carefully in the arms of two young girls posing with 5 young boys, was wailing her sweet little headband off. Mothers frantically raced back and forth, jiggling and adjusting and snapping pictures with their throwaway cameras. Cameraman was being dragged back by his now angry brother who said they were still going to take pictures.

Finally the whole group posed and someone clothed in flowers, so not a white shirt/khaki family member, snapped several pictures from several small cameras. Everyone pasted a smile on their face between the children whining,"can we play in the sand yet?", the baby screaming, and the cameraman scowling.

Pictures over, the children dashed to the ocean and were filthy within seconds. The baby was comforted and the silly headband removed from her head. The cameraman grinned watching the antics of his children. The matriarch smiled, patting ineffectually at her tangled wind whipped white hair.

I am sure they will be glad they have the pictures but I bet the scene that will be seared in their memory will be the one after the last photo was snapped.

Jeremiah 29:13 When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul,


- Nothing is impossible with God
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