Ham, Cheese, Religion, and REAL

It's no secret, my daughter is a ham (I wonder where she got that from ?!?). Lately, whenever I get out the camera, she stops what she is doing and smiles for the camera. Of course, she also anticipates the flash, so I end up with a lot of pictures like this:





And while these pictures are awfully cute, they don't capture what I really want - the real her.

For instances, yesterday I was quite disappointed when my attempts to sneak up on her and film her dancing to a video were thwarted by the fact that she spied me and quickly stopped dancing to make a cheesy pose for the camera. Bummer!

I wonder if that is what God feels about my religiosity at times. I wonder if He doesn't sometimes think, "Nice try little lady, but that cheesy religion you have going on down there doesn't trick me at all. Besides, sweet girl, all I really want is the real you. So anytime you want to stop being a ham would be okay by me."

Here is how The Message puts it:

"Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding." (Matt. 6:1)


Let's face it - God already knows the real me, and He loves me anyhow. Just like I love my little girl – with or without her cheesy poses. So here's to less ham, less cheese, less religiosity, and more REAL.