Can I edit myself?

Last night, as I was editing Oldest senior pictures I was struck by a thought:  Wouldln't it be nice if I could edit out all my perceived imperfections.  The extra weight, zits, the chin hairs that started appearing a few years ago, gray hairs, the circles under my eyes...   If I go further, what about the cracked paint on the ceiling or the stained carpet, the pile of stuff that needs to go in the attic, the clothes still in need of folding, the papers I need to grade... I'm sure you don't want me to go on, but are you mentally or physically talking to me, adding your own list of "imperfections?

Using Picasa,  free photo editing software from Google, I can wipe away various imperfections in a matter of seconds.  What a glorious tool!!!  I can brighten, change the contrast, make a pictures black and white or even sepia, create a new blog header, or whatever I dream of doing (with in reason).  No matter what, I can change physical things on Picasa, but I can't fix the emotional or spiritual screw ups or baggage, no matter how hard I cry or worry about them.

So why do I stand with a tight fist, holding onto my "worries"?  Is it because I don't think anyone or God can work them out how I "think" they should be done? Obviously I'm not doing a great job, but when I finally do open my fist, and really allow God to take them, there is peace and it is amazing to see how He works things out and the reasons He did it the way He did.  Make sense?

This morning I was feeling more than glum about my physical appearance, but when I read what Mary wrote at In-Courage, it grabbed at my heart.  God has so many different ways that He speaks to us, and one of those is through the eyes of others and the words they've been given.  In reality, I know that people really put importance on how we look, but it sure comforting to be with a group of ladies that could care less about how I look or if my house looks lived in (we'll never be in Country Living or Southern Living), but that's okay.  What they and God care about is really what is in my heart.  Sometimes my heart is a little messy and misconstrued, but God has a way of turning this mess into something He sees as beautiful.

The LORD does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart.
(1 Samuel 16:7b) 

What has He been saying to you?  Has He use someone else or a different method to speak to you?