One of the places I feel most alive is wandering out in creation with a camera in my hand. To be sure, I am no Ansel Adams. I am sure that no one years from now will pay…well…anything for one of my photographs. But I don’t practice spiritual photography for fame or fortune, I practice this way of praying because the action feeds and fuels my soul. I practice photography because it helps me pay attention. I need to pay attention not only to what I am seeing, but often what I am hearing. Sometimes it is a bird singing that I hear first before seeing the colorful wings. Sometimes it is the rustling of limbs that I hear before I see the squirrels playfully chasing. Sometimes I smell a flower before I see the brilliant, bold color.
I invite you to look at the photo above. What do you see? Come closer and step into the photo, stand in the middle of it. What do you hear? What might you smell?
Maybe you picked up on the rush of the water over the rocks. Or saw the brilliant and bright green of the forest. Or the logs that are laying near the water – a symbol of life and death side-by-side. Or maybe your imagination really awoke and you heard a bird singing just out of view. Or started singing, “Shall We Gather at the River…where bright angel feet have trod. Gather with the saints at the river… that flows by the throne of God.” Or “Wade in the Water” or “My Life Flows on in Endless Song”.
Whatever stirs in your heart, I pray you notice what happens when we pay attention. I also believe that whatever swirled in your imagination is your life getting a word in edgewise. When we center our attention on one moment, we engage the world God crafted and created. I pray this day, you might continue to practice this way of exploring this moment we inhabit.
May God’s love enfold and hold you now more than ever.
Prayer: God wash over me with a peace and presence I need this day. Renew and refresh my soul as I seek to be caught up in Your symphony of life today. Amen.
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