Divine Appointments

I took a walk in the evening light tonight around a local pond not knowing what I might find. As I circled the small pond in the waning golden light of the evening I found myself impatient. The light was not giving me exactly what I was hoping for and what little bit was left on the pond was rapidly waning behind the trees. I was searching for that “big” image with the amazing light and reflections on the pond but no composition was showing itself. Finally, getting the message from the One true source of all inspiration I stopped my frantic pace and sat in the grass to slow down and ponder the scene. It was at this moment of slowing down that I began to notice the tiny details around me rather than the big dramatic scenes I was hoping for. The small wildflowers clinging to life around the edges of the pond. The bees pollinating the flowers. Even the tiny spider webs and hairs on these flowers as I looked at them ever more closely going into a macro level for some photos. It is the tiny details and the glow of the last remaining rays of sun on these flowers that captivates me about this photo. Sometimes it is necessary to slow down, breathe, and look for something in the details.

Turns out that this evening God was not done with my lessons about taking the time to simply slow down and walk about because He may have a divine appointment in mind. As I was slowly making my way back toward the car still keeping my eye out for any last shots I had a small urge to turn left to continue around the pond a bit more rather than right toward where I had parked. No good shots on that side of the pond at all so I packed up and started heading back. It was then that I struck up a conversation with an incredibly nice young man on a trail scooter who asked if I knew the trails around there. I told him that I was not super familiar but it turns out that our conversation turned to photography and he asked to see some of my work. Showing him this site led us to discover that we both love the Lord and are interested in the beauty of creation and capturing it in photos. This meeting was so incredibly encouraging to me that God has divine appointments in life that He already has planned for us. All we need to do is to slow down a bit, not rush, and wait for Him to reveal the details of this beautiful tapestry we call life.

I hope that this was encouraging to you tonight and that you enjoy this simple flower photo that I was able to capture. Also, to the young man that I met by the pond I hope that you get to read this and are encouraged in your walk with God and in your own photographic journey!

Psalm 37:23