Pictures

In the past few years I’ve rediscover my love of photography.  I love looking through and lens and capturing a moment in time.  The tools today are lighter, more adaptable, and easier to use.  Their flexibility gives one the opportunity to see life differently in the early morning hours, in harsh or poor light, and well into the nighttime hours.  It’s an incredible opportunity; freely available, yet incredibly transient. 
 
With photography, I found my way of looking at life has changed.  I see the sky differently, with and without the camera.  I remember scenes as if they are pictures; complete with a paragraph to describe what was going on.  The steps I’ve taken are remembered as a series of sequential snaps, each with their own flavor and texture.  They are unique life moments which I always want to remember.
 
I find the process of describing this change difficult, cumbersome, and frustrating.  In general, responses fall into one of three camps.  First is the group that just doesn’t care.  They don’t find the subject, conversation, or descriptions interesting in any way relevant to their lives.  The second group is the worst.  Not only do they not find the conversation appealing, they don’t think it could ever be relevant to their lives, journeys, or community.  The third is where I find hope.  They are not sure, but they are intrigued.  They are curious in a exploring, willing to risk kind of way.  They are willing to be guided into the experience, if only to share in a step or two of my journey.
 
To each group I want to same thing; “see, experience, and know what it is like to see the ordinary around you.  It is a wonderful way to experience the fullness of what it can mean to be alive.”
 
I’d love to claim the invitation as my own.  It isn’t.  I merely passing on the same invitation I received from God; “If you're far away, get the reports on what I've done, and if you're in the neighborhood, pay attention to my record.”  (Isaiah 33.13)