I Count

These photos were taken in Virginia last Christmas. The non-digital version has the words “I count” in focus but I couldn’t get my digital camera to focus where I wanted it to (another reason I need a digital Rebel).

In thinking about the words “I count” there are a few things that come to mind. First, I am using the words out of their intended context: I count none but sunny hours. This is so often what Christians (including me) can do with the Bible. I know that my reading is influenced by the translation, my understanding of the history, my location in history, my gender, life experiences, mood, etc. I know that there is no way that I can read the Bible in a completely unbiased manner. I choose to read the Bible anyway. I choose to think of God anyway. I choose to speak of God anyway.

Second, I like the words “I count” because they remind me that in church, in culture, in theology, I have a choice. My purchases matter, the way I treat my environment matters, the way I treat my neighbor matters. It is easy to get caught up in the thought that I cannot make a difference in this world, in the environment, or in my church – these thoughts are easy, convenient, and untrue. I can take the easy way out, but that way will not benefit anyone, including myself.

Third, I like these words because they make me think of all the young women I have worked with. The media has shaped so much that the girls who don’t look like models (and even those who do) are convinced they don’t count. They believe they are flawed and that they need to be someone or something they are not in order to be worth anything. I want to remind them that they matter. Each of us counts – it doesn’t matter what we look like, how we learn, or what we sound like when we speak; everyone matters. It doesn’t matter where on this earth we live – all life is valuable. I believe God’s image dwells in each of us and yet so often I find myself not acting like it. Even then I count. Even then, when I forget, God does not forget; God counts.