Introduction to: Remember Lot’s Wife. A Story Worth Pausing For
“Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it” -Luke 17:32
Pictured: Harley Vaughn
Hair & Makeup by: Jessica Martinez
I’m so excited to finally be sharing this three-part series with you. This project has been sitting in my heart for a while, waiting for the right time. It’s deeply personal, created with both love and curiosity, and now it feels right to bring it into the light.
Remember Lot’s Wife is what I like to call a heart project. The idea was born one ordinary day while I was scrolling through Instagram. I stumbled upon a sermon with that very title, Remember Lot’s Wife. Now, I’ve always been familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, but something about this caught my attention.
The pastor said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“Out of all the people in the Bible, Jesus told us to remember Lot’s wife.”
Not Abraham. Not Sarah. Not David. Not even Noah. Lot’s wife. A woman whose name we don’t even know. That was the hook that sent me down a path of exploration, the very path that led to this series.
Before we get to her story, let’s set the stage.
A Quick Look at Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were ancient cities in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea. They were notorious for corruption, wickedness, and idolatry. Scripture says they sacrificed children, worshiped false gods, and lived in total rebellion. To put it simply, these cities were a mess.
This was during the time of Abraham, who had been called by God to settle in Canaan. Traveling with him was his nephew, Lot. At one point, Lot’s and Abraham’s shepherds began quarreling because there wasn’t enough land for both of their flocks. Abraham generously allowed Lot to choose first, and Lot picked the fertile land near Sodom. It looked good on the outside, but that choice would lead him straight into trouble.
Lot and his family were eventually captured in a regional war, only to be rescued by Abraham himself. But instead of leaving behind the danger, Lot returned to live near Sodom. That decision, made out of self-interest, foreshadowed the challenges that would follow. And it’s here that we meet Lot’s wife.
Lot’s Wife Enters the Story
Lot’s wife was a native of Sodom, born and raised in its culture. The city’s way of life, its wealth, its status, its excess, was all she had ever known. When she married Lot, she joined his household and learned his people’s ways.
Scripture doesn’t give us her name, nor much detail about her thoughts or feelings. But we do know Lot became an influential man, sitting at the city gates where leaders held civic discussions. While the New Testament describes Lot as a righteous man grieved by the wickedness around him, we don’t know if his wife felt the same. Was her heart aligned with him or did she long for the life of comfort and prestige that came with her city?
The Turning Point
This brings us to the crucial moment. Because of their wickedness, God determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels, disguised as men, came to warn Lot of the coming judgment and urged him to take his family and flee. The next morning at dawn, the angels led Lot, his wife, and their daughters out of the city, literally taking them by the hand. “Run for your lives!” they warned. “Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the valley. Head for the mountains, or you will be swept away!” The family escaped to a small town called Zoar, but as destruction fell, Lot’s wife looked back. And in that moment, she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Why Does This Matter?
Lot’s wife’s story is short, but powerful. She didn’t perish because she failed to run fast enough, or because she didn’t hear the angels’ instructions. She perished because she looked back. It wasn’t just a quick glance, it was a heart longing for what she left behind. A hesitation to fully let go. She was called to abandon everything in order to save her life, but she couldn’t release her grip. And that choice cost her everything.
Her story has come to represent the danger of clinging to unbelief, of resisting God’s leading, and of longing more for the past than for His promises. And this, my friend, is the heart of this series, the “hook” that has captured me ever since I first heard that sermon.
Next?
✨ Stick around for next week’s post, where we begin our photographic journey. I’ll be sharing the first visual stage of this series, bringing Lot’s wife’s story to life through carefully crafted imagery. You’ll see how her world, her choices, and her emotions are captured in every frame, setting the tone for the deeper exploration ahead. I can’t wait for you to experience this story in a whole new way.