Our Help is Detailed

“Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8
God thought up, caused to exist, and sustains not only our little earth but stars millions of times larger than our sun and countless galaxies. It’s awesome, to ponder God’s power and might. Creation is so grand, expansive and immense.
But is also fine, minute and detailed.  It comforting for me to see the little details that He created. God did not give us a world of simple outlines or chunky big blocks or a globulous-monolithic-piece-of-modern-art-type world.  He put us in an environment full of minute detail. This picture is of the forest floor where a patch of sunlight filtered through all the leaves and lit up the earth.  I love the textures and the colors, the surprising beauty, of this tiny patch of moss.

God didn’t have to be so involved and thorough, but He did.  He planned the details of our life stories with just as much care and creativity. Just as all the elements in this image combine in beauty (including the dead leaves and seemingly random twig) the events in our lives all combine to tell a story of God’s grace and sustenance and as a whole, it will be beautiful.

Look Up

Leaves rustling in a breeze is one of my favorite sounds. I hear that sound just looking at this picture and seeing the sunlight gilding the tree tops. I love looking up into the dizzying heights of the trees swaying in the breeze, but I don’t always remember to look up.
As much as I love woods, sometimes they can feel a bit dark and constraining until I look up into the soaring heights and get a fresh perspective. It always takes my breath away.
Its the same in everyday life. If my attention is too horizontal I get bogged down with every-day demands and obstacles and feel too limited and spread thin. Then I remember to look up-to rely on our creator, remind myself of His promises and to praise Him! Putting things in a vertical perspective changes everything!

Fungi and a Fox

I took walk this morning in the woods and took the camera.  There is no path. I was trying to tromp tenderly without smashing too many of the May Apple plants that are carpeting large swaths of the forest floor.

I didn’t go very far, I was focusing on the scenes around me, thinking about the power of perspective, the beauty of spring and the artistry of God. I was snapping photos of the ground, the sky, the trees, and the leaves and everything in between when I was distracted by a familiar buzzing.   There was a fat bumble bee exploring the woods and occasionally landing on a May Apple flower.  I love bumble bees and I love the woods.  I was immediately determined to get a picture of the bee in action.

There was a beautiful moment when he was hovering over ferns at the base of a tree. The ferns were dangling over the edge of the stream and there he was in all of his buzzing glory. I was like, wow, thanks God for setting me up for this beautiful picture.  Only thing, I could not get the camera to focus on that bee!  Bees are so busy; I knew he wouldn’t stay there long.  I was like, “Come on God! Isn’t this the shot you’re giving me today?!” I was no longer enjoying the beauty the weather or anything else. I wanted a shot of that bee.  Suddenly I looked up and there was a fox running right at me.  I don’t think he saw me at first and when he did, he stopped and looked at me like quizzically or accusingly.  Or both.  I couldn’t remember any instances of humans being eaten alive by a fox- so I just stood there staring back. Then the Lord reminded me to take a picture.

The fox took a few steps, hesitated, stopped to look at me again (thankfully because it took a few shots to focus on him) and then trotted up a hill to the left. The Lord reminded me (again, I’m so glad He’s merciful) how easy it is for me is to focus on one thing that I really want, get all frustrated about not having, and lose my joy.  When I shift my perspective, open myself up to other possibilities, I always see something amazing He provides.

Still, it didn’t take me long after the fox to get focused on the bee again. I never did get a shot of it, but while trying to focus on the bee I shifted two inches to the right and got an amazing shot of fungi. I wanted a bee.  God gave me a fox and fungi, and they are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined!

“Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21