This Place, This Precipice

It has been made clear to me that throughout my life, I have been blessed with an eye to see, notice and capture photographically what is obvious and present but overlooked by everyone else. Here is a photograph taken at a recent camp where many attended, but, while many avoided the puddles, none stopped to enjoy the beauty of the reflection and underlying detail found at the bottom of the puddle. Finding the right perspective and lighting, I captured it for some to enjoy.

Hanging on my parent's living room wall are two photographs I took as a youth, one of my mom and dad, the other of my brother. They point to the history of my initial statement. The image of my parents was captured while at Green Valley Falls creek. My mom and dad were sitting on a rock as I explored and moved about with my with my Minolta SLR camera loaded with ektachrome. I looked up, saw my mom and dad, told them to smile, and took the picture of them sitting above me on the rocks. Returning to my friend's darkroom, I processed the image as I remembered it only to discover that in a very small pool below, my parent's image appeared perfectly centered in it's reflection. It was an amazing coincidence, but if I had not studied the photo, it would have been easily overlooked. I flipped the image, enlarged and severely cropped it, and it has hung in my parent's living room for decades.

The other family member photograph is one of my brother. While on a Boy Scout hike we walked by puddles along the trail with thin sheets of ice layering their surface. I picked up one sheet and held it up. With my camera always at the ready, my brother picked up another, much larger sheet. Asking him to hold it up in front of his face, the shutter raced open and shut and I raced to the darkroom once home to process this image as well.

The play of light, the exuberance of words (especially holy words), the joy of capturing unique moments have followed me through the years as my website http://thef-stopshere.phanfare.com/ displays some of my many thousands of images captured, along with some thoughts linked with holy words. I also find myself composing music and lyrics, my heart, directed in compassion and interest in the lives of others. The revelation of all this 'history' all these 'talents' and giftings slam together as I ponder the immediacy of direction for my life and career.

Finding myself at the fullness of age 54 years into life, my passion and presence presses forward to yet another career in caring, that of minister and ministry. Not that I have not engaged in this for many, many years, but now with added impulse and unction. Great joy and fulfillment is now found in my heart as I engage others in care and encouragement, seeing themselves and their predicaments in the hands of God. For my life overflows with tragedies and joys, failures and triumphs, all moving me to this place, this precipice of trust. I am compelled to come alongside of whomever comes my way to invest in their lives; to care for their souls, using the gifts of which I have been blessed.

This place, this precipice is daunting and monumental, and yet I must step, I am compelled to go, finding no peace in any other 'way'. I remember a professor telling us, his students that "if there is any other profession you can do and find fulfillment in besides ministry, do it. For ministry is only for those who cannot do anything else and be satisfied. Why? Because ministry is the most challenging of all professions, and if you are not called, you will not endure it."

So this place, this precipice is but another step in this life as one of footprints and faith.