Lord, please help me to change - Judith Couchman

A TRU E VIE W O F YO Uof Mother' s visio n i n knowin g ho w importan t i t i s t olearn t o b e judge o f one's ow n behavior . Sh e di d wel lto se e tha t a habit o f trut h throughou t lif e i s mor eimportant tha n th e broken sou p plates . "Margaret's persona l evaluation s late r enable d he r t o cas t akeen ey e o n th e world . Whethe r photographin g stee l mills ,migrant workers , Germa n bombers , Joseph Stali n o r Mahatm aGandhi, sh e courageously focuse d on detai l an d truth . Wit h thi sapproach, sh e brok e th e conventiona l bound s o f photograph yand secure d he r plac e i n history .Margaret admittedl y owe d he r succes s t o an inne r certaint ysince childhood . He r mothe r ha d tol d her , "Margaret , yo u ca nalways be proud tha t you were invite d int o the world." 1 4(jtyi/YMX. a wonderful legac y for a daughter—to know , for cer -yy tain , tha t her parent s wanted he r birt h an d t o feel secur eand purposefu l while growin g up . Sadly , that' s no t th e cas e fo rmany children today .But there's recompense .Even i f love and securit y aren't par t o f our earthl y heritage ,it certainly belong s t o our heavenl y legacy . God planne d fo r eac hof us to visit the earth . Becaus e H e wants us . Becaus e H e love s us .And wit h tha t knowledge , w e ca n bas k i n ou r relationshi p wit hHim an d gro w strong i n our plac e i n th e world .We can als o honestly asses s ourselves .When we'r e love d deeply and unconditionally , there' s safet yin admittin g ou r shortcoming s an d evaluatin g thei r impact . W ecan b e truthful . We don't ris k th e humiliatio n o f rejection . I nfact, we long t o change t o please our love d one .And s o i t can b e with God .When w e grasp th e Lord' s magnanimou s lov e for us , w e n olonger fea r Hi s recrimination fo r our si n an d shortcomings . W erepent wit h th e sorro w o f hurting a lover , bu t als o with th e cer -tainty o f Hi s forgiveness. Openly assessin g ourselve s before Go dand confessin g si n become s th e mean s fo r nurturing a preciou srelationship.It also clears the pat h fo r change .If the trut h b e known , there' s a mystica l lin k betwee n hon -estly assessing ourselve s and accomplishin g rea l change . It' s th eJ 7