He Makes All Things Beautiful (Before and After Photos)

A couple of weeks ago, I looked out my back window and saw this:

The rain came, pounded furiously against the house for just a few short moments, and went away. The creepy-looking clouds moved on. I then stepped out on my front porch and saw this:

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Early last week, we applied for the twins' U.S. passports. As I filled out the required paperwork and handed over documents to our county's Clerk of Courts for processing, I was struck with amazement when I saw the boy's new photos next to the ones that were taken a year ago in Ethiopia. Granted, when Jalen and Jordan got their pictures taken for their Ethiopian passports, they were scared, didn't smile, got a Homeland Security seal stamped over their faces, and the photographer stood way too close, giving them that good old "fish-face" look. But what a difference a year can make! What a difference a family can make! Wow. 

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3 sets of before-and-after pictures. Each "before" photo shows darkness, difficulty, fear of the unknown. Each "after" photo shows hope, beauty, peacefulness. Sometimes we have to go through life's storms in order to see the glory on the other side. That's how God purifies us, refines us. Loves us. Draws us closer. And He makes all things beautiful in His time. More beautiful than we could ever have imagined.