I went for a walk a few months ago. My heart longed for a respite from ordinary life and the hassle of taking care of kids and home. The busyness of life didn’t allow me to go further than a large plot of land which we sort of share with our neighbors.
I wanted to create something beautiful but didn’t have the wherewithal to paint, draw or sculpt, so I brought my camera along, hoping that would somehow meet the need. I’d borrow the beauty from my surroundings.
Cynically I stayed my camera finger awhile. Why even bother taking pictures which I would never use anyways? The scenery wasn’t that spectacular, but I pulled out my camera just to try capturing something beautiful and soon I was captured in the pursuit.
I found myself acting like my four year old daughter on a walk. I love that she loves flowers but I hate having to stop every few steps so she can gather a few more blooms. Sometimes I keep walking, encouraging her to catch up once she’s done, but I’ve learned that her little feet and attention won’t pursue the path quickly enough for me. And, here I was doing the same thing. Every little flower caught my attention and had me kneeling to capture it’s beauty.
What Was This?
I felt like a little girl stopping to smell every flower, and I found myself taking such delight in the process. My camera was helping me slow down to savor the beauty of Creation. In my business, my need to exercise or actually get to my destination, I fall into the habit of rushing past beauty hardly allowing it to sink into my eye. Whether or not I actually ever used those pictures, I truly enjoyed the work composing each one. Light, shadow, depth, color, breeze, fine lines: all these caught at and tugged at my heart.
“Unless you become like little children, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I experienced that joy, becoming like my little daughter, rapt in wonder and delight in the beauty reflected around me. Firmly I believe, Infinite beauty, Infinity goodness are splashing like the daylight all around us. How sweet to take an hour to taste that source of light–gathering not nectar but faith from each flower’s bloom.
My pictures aren’t of superb quality. Perhaps my amateurish talent will encourage you. Even if you aren’t a high-grade artist–I encourage you as friend to take a pencil, a brush, a lens and find a few minutes to savor beauty.
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