A Picture of Despair
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
Psalm 107:4-6
In 1936, during the Great Depression, famed photographer Dorothea Lange was given permission to snap a series of photos of 32-year-old Florence Owens Thompson and her children.
Little did she know that one of those pictures would become iconic for that devastating era of history. Indeed, Lange’s “Migrant Mother” is one of the most familiar photographs of the 20th century.
Here’s the story behind the image.
Like so many during the Great Depression, Florence Thompson’s family was destitute. Seeking to change their circumstances, they decided to move to California hoping that she and her husband could find work picking crops in the Imperial Valley.
Their journey came to a halt when their car broke down near the town of Nipomo, California. Fortunately, there was a pea field nearby and pickers were needed. The Thompsons’ hopes soared.
That is until a night of freezing rain destroyed the crop.
The haunted look captured by Lange’s camera conveys how Florence felt in the aftermath of that failed harvest. It’s the picture of despair.
Thompson allowed Lange to photograph her family because she thought it might help the plight of the working poor. In a very real way, it was a call for help.
That call was answered. The image of a worried but resilient mother was so powerful that it prompted the government to send 20,000 pounds of food to relieve starvation in Thompson’s area.
Desperate Times
The writer of Psalm 107 describes a similarly desperate time in Israel’s history. It occurred during the time of the nation’s wandering in the Wilderness. “Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away” (Ps. 107:4-5).
Then the focus shifts to an action step that was taken. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble…” The result? “…and he delivered them from their distress” (Ps. 107:6).
These are certainly desperate times for many. Indeed there are some who compare our present-day to the Great Depression.
Uncertainty is rampant. Fear is widespread. Financial worries are as epidemic as the COVID virus. Unemployment is at unprecedented heights.
Many of us can well identify with Florence Thompson. We are a picture of despair as well.
If that’s you, don’t stay silent. Take a cue from the Israelites. Cry out to God. Give voice to your lament. Do so freely. God can handle your honesty.
Then lean into the hope that the One who hears you also sees you. Moreover, He’s more than capable and willing to respond.
Though He doesn’t always take us out of hard situations, He does promise to bring us through them.
God doesn’t always take us out of hard situations. But He does promise to bring us through them.
Florence Thompson is a picture of that as well. Desperate as her situation was, she survived it, living until September 16, 1983, when she died at the age of 80. Her gravestone reads:
"FLORENCE LEONA THOMPSON Migrant Mother – A Legend of the Strength of American Motherhood."
Such was the legacy of this survivor. She epitomized resilience. By God’s grace, may we have a similar legacy to pass on.
PRAYER
Lord, I find myself identifying with Florence Thompson in these days. Life is hard. Yet, I know I can call out to You and that you will hear that call. I am confident that though you might not take me out of this hard situation, you will bring me through it. And that ultimately the picture of despair will be replaced by a picture of triumph.
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