Calm

“Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems.
    And he brought them out of their troubles.
He made the storm as quiet as a whisper.
    The waves of the ocean calmed down.
The people were glad when the ocean became calm.
    Then he guided them to the harbor they were looking for.” (Psalm 107:29)

Moments of Peace

The calm peaceful photo that I have included in today’s post is a wonderful example of the peacefulness that can be part of the experience of landscape photography. On this photo shoot I had already chosen the location and knew what kind of photo could be possible under the right conditions. When the day came that the weather was clear, and the temperature was very low it was simply a matter of getting up while it was still dark and getting on location to wait for the light. Eventually the light came and the mist was on the water due to the temperatures in the mid 20’s but the true enjoyment comes in the waiting and watching. Being able to be completely alone on a lakeshore that in warmer months would be teaming with people can be a very special experience of peace. This is what I love most about photography… it is the waiting, the discovery, and the peacefulness of it all. Standing on the ice coated shoreline with peaceful music playing is perfect for thinking, prayer, and simply being quiet for a short time.

Guiding in the storm

The experience I described above was possible because of being in the right place at the right time with the right conditions. God provided the conditions and all I had to do was wait for the moment. The verse in the Psalm above takes it even further when it comes to life. All that we have to do in the midst of the storms of life is to cry out to God and He will do the calming of the storm as well as provide guidance to a safe harbor. It simply comes down to faith and trust in the Lord, but it is important that before the storm comes, we take the time to know Him and build that faith because if we don’t know Him and have that faith already in place how can we trust Him enough to guide us to that safe harbor?

I hope that in the storms of life you are able to seek refuge in the One who can bring peace and guidance to safe harbor. That faith can begin with the tiniest mustard seed and will grow strong if you seek Him. Don’t wait another day to plant that seed because we never know when the next storm will arrive.

Ken
Psalm 8:3-9