y husband has never forgiven me. Even today, years later, he still exhibits an involuntary twitch whenever I schedule a family photo.

It started out innocently enough. I was shopping at Sam’s Club and noticed a promotion for professional “old-fashioned” photos. Perhaps it was a flashback to my childhood love affair with “Little House on the Prairie,” but I was hooked.

When we arrived at Sam’s for our appointment, I assumed we’d be directed back to a private makeshift “studio.” Instead, we were directed to the produce section. Yes, right there between the lettuce and the legumes, we were going to be captured for all posterity.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, they expected us to change into our pioneer duds inside a ridiculously flimsy, circular shower curtain – while shoppers squeezed tomatoes nearby. Surely Ma and Pa Ingalls never had to endure this kind of humiliation.

As I recall that mortifying tale, it occurs to me that we all harbor a fear of exposure. Our deeply human desire is to remain safely covered and in control. Consider Adam and Eve. Suddenly aware of their fallen nature, Genesis 3 says they “… made coverings for themselves” and “hid … among the trees of the garden.”

Satan is crafty, but he’s not terribly original. From the beginning of time, he’s been using our anxiety about being judged – by God and others – to drive us into isolation. But God designed us for community – first and foremost with him, but also with other believers.

Being our real selves feels risky – but not if we’re anchored in God's unconditional love.

My image-conscious nature makes it incredibly challenging for me to reveal my true self. Being real is risky. I might appear foolish, cause disappointment or experience rejection.

However, when I anchor myself in God’s unconditional love for me, I am brave enough to open the curtain and allow the harsh “produce section” light to reveal my individuality and weaknesses in all their quirky glory. I make it safe for others to do the same. Other lonely souls come out of hiding, too. Community is born. I feel loved and accepted for who I am and am more accepting and appreciative of others’ uniqueness, just as God intended.

In this new, softer light, the embarrassing and humbling moments of life don’t seem so terrifying. We even experience the freedom to laugh at ourselves – pioneer duds and all.

Psalm 139:14 – “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”