Psalm 19:1 ESV
While I loved growing up in the city, I grew to appreciate living in a small tight knit community, and I was very fond of living in a small city, and I was surprised by how many advantages there were to living in the country.
Today’s photograph is just one example…
I’ve found that when my view isn’t covered up by buildings and houses, I clearly see God’s handiwork. Almost every day God provides an example of the glory of creation!
Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
What’s so very remarkable about the beauty of the sky is that every day God paints new pictures for us to enjoy.
I can’t say I wanted to be a photographer when I was first handed a Nikon camera in 1989. I was living in a small town in Northeast Missouri and I was looking for a part-time job. Someone told me the local newspaper was looking for someone to help ‘set up’ advertisements for the paper. At that point in time most small newspapers manually put the newspaper together so I thought it sounded like an interesting job. I didn’t have a lot of experience, but I had been on the newspaper staff for a large high school in Raytown, Missouri. I was a writer but I had helped set type when I was on staff. At least I had some experience to put on the resume.
When I was hired I was very surprised to find that this small town newspaper had Macintosh Equipment and the newspaper was produced on the computer. In 1989 pretty much no one had a computer in the home. I had never used one.
My first week on the job was horrible. I had no idea what I was doing. Thankfully the Managing Editor was patient and she consistently unscrambled my messes the first month I was on staff. I did learn how to use a computer.
Gradually, staff found out I had been a writer and in college I had studied communication.
One day the Publisher came to my desk and he told me to write a story for the newspaper that week. One thing led to another and after a while I was writing everything for the front page. There was a photographer who went and took photographs to match my stories.
When the photographer quit suddenly the Publisher brought a new Nikon camera to my desk and told me I would be taking pictures as well. In 1989 cameras still used film, and the fellow who worked in the darkroom explained how to load and reload the film. It was easy.
Overnight I became a newspaper photographer. I have to admit it surprised me how much I loved it. In time I also developed the photographs. I am a visual learner and that proved to be a great help when I would look for interesting things to photograph.
I found that I LOVED taking pictures.
Fast forward 15 years and I was living in a new city looking for a job. Since I had been a photographer, I was hired (and trained) to be a portrait photographer.
Every step of my journey helped me to think about how to best illustrate the subject. God was very good to send people to help me learn new skills.
Fast forward another 15 years.
When I retired I prayed about what I wanted to do in the next phase of my life. I had finished college, and I had finished Seminary. Since I love to write and take photographs, I wondered if I could be a blogger. With the help of an “angel” my website was launched on a few hours.
So, here I am…a blogger.
Not only do I love the writing, I love illustrating and taking photographs!
I am also learning a new new skill…when I can’t find something to photograph, I’m learning how to do digital drawings. It’s not the easiest skill I’ve learned but I’ve found that I love it. It is very time consuming so I usually only draw/paint one or two illustrations a month, but it is great fun.
I know I have a lot to learn, but it’s been quite a ride. I’ve found that when I write a blog post I can pray about how to illustrate it, and God shows me the way.
I either see a picture in my mind and I start drawing it, or God will send a certain cloud formation, a sunset, or a sunrise that I can photograph. Whenever I need an illustration, God is good to supply what I need.
I love it that wherever I go and whatever I do, God goes before me and shows me to way.
God never fails.
Ever.
The point is, as you work through problems or issues you have LET God help you. Let God show you the way. Let God teach you.
Remember you are not on your own. As the heavens declare the glory of God every day, the sky declares the handiwork all around us. God will help you see!
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Turn to God
If you are struggling with something, turn to God and “give it” up. God will show you the way. It may not be instant, but it will come.
In God, Deborah
Comentarios