Recently, I had to go to the studio for a photo-shoot session, and some of my sisters came along. We had an amazing time at the studio and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
The pictures were so beautiful; I was elated when I eventually saw them. As the photo-shoot was going on, my sister was taking the behind the scenes pictures, which she eventually sent to me. The behind the scenes pictures were so crude, so unrefined, and everywhere was rowdy. It showed virtually everything that went on in that studio, raw and uncut. They were not as beautiful, certainly not as beautiful, and certainly not as captivating as the professional pictures that were already "treated."
This got me thinking and left me with something. I am sure you know by now that I am one person who learns very big lessons from simple and seemingly irrelevant things. Those behind the scenes depict who/what we truly are. That is where God takes us through painful pruning processes. It is where we learn, shout, cry, argue, fight with God, pour out our hearts and labour, until we eventually learn to be still, trust and obey. The behind the scenes is we are sharpened, shaped, refined, directed and reformed in order to be presentable, posh and admirable.
When we are then being showcased to the world, people see honour, grace and glory, without actually realizing that a lot has gone down; lot of effort, discipline and training has been invested. Behind the scenes is where we seek God, and find Him. It is where He directs and instructs us. It is where He deals with our weaknesses and shows us loving-kindness. It is where He reveals our character and exposes the quality of our integrity.
I had many help at the studio, someone held the light, someone told me what to adjust, someone did my makeup, and there was a director of photography and so on. Of course, I had to do one or two things myself, and the pictures came out nice. This is exactly what the behind the scenes of our lives does for us, what happens in the closest will eventually speak for itself.
I didn't share the behind the scenes pictures that were taken, because they weren't perfect, who does that anyway?
When we see "seemingly" perfect/nice looking people, ministries, marriages, or what have you, the price is being paid behind the scenes.
Behind the scenes- a place of openness, honesty, vulnerability and discipline. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11"
its high time we started taking the behind the scene situations of our lives serious.