If you, reading regularly, have noticed, my writing and this blog has changed over time. Initially, maybe because I thought I had something to prove, my words demonstrated linguistic prowess with much vocabulary and alliteration; at the expense of making its reading so cognitive that most didn't, or stopped. A rare image would appear if I had one that fit my thought for the moment/day. In short, it is a real picture of change over time relative to this act of blogging, and this heart on the journey; this blog becoming example of footprints and faith for this guy.
After decades of living, learning, doing, teaching, capturing, loving and hardest of all, waiting, this soul has met head on toward another adventure, one immersed in photography and writing. This kind of adventure is a precipice I have found myself standing, in life, with great frequency. I hope you have found this new change dynamic and refreshing. Daily posts, frequent images, interesting thoughts.
A friend of mine once told me, "We know more about the last 24 hours than we do the last 24 years". My response? "If we keep filling our heads with the short-term moments of time, without reflection long-term, of course there is no large scale revelation and learning," Today's world seems consumed with moments, here today, gone to Mau'i (couldn't resist; this image taken there). There is much lost when we don't stop to remember, don't ponder the learning, and especially don't stop to ponder how the sequence of events brought us to where we find ourselves 'now'.
Do you find yourself in the midst of divorce? You probably didn't invest and commit to moments and movement to keep your marriage alive. Finding yourself loosing your home in these tough economic times? You probably didn't live and save like this might be a possibility (loosing your job, your spouse etc.). If, however, we only focus on the moment, we will not learn. If we think, 'that will never happen to me', we fool ourselves especially if we do nothing to prepare and prevent such disaster upon sad occasion.
I wish I could take credit for where I find myself sitting, having survived four years of being mostly unemployed and underemployed, still saving, still living pretty well, still moving forward. Sure, I wrestled with 'whoa is me' and 'doesn't anyone find worth in employing me for who I am?' issues. It has been my faith, my learning to trust God, my seeing that He has and continues moving my soul forward in relationship with Him and what He takes me through that has significant impact, provided hope in what seemed hopeless, all with promise that it forge meaning and purpose into my soul. He has also helped us with His guidance in marriage, home and employment. He harbored Carrie and I from being chained to the ways of the world, and we are very thankful for His leading, His blessing.
It should seem clear that I celebrate both moment and movement in my life. While we all usually embrace and enjoy many celebratory moments in our lives, we seldom appreciate the tragic and difficult, eroding moments in our lives. We will never gain proper, deep understanding of purpose unless we reflect upon the larger, longer-term movement hopefully found in our lives. In my recent blogs, you can read my take on trials and tribulations for they sit as balance on the scale of life and living. The image captured and posited in today's blog demonstrates, metaphorically a bit, the beauty of capturing and pondering an instant over greater time. For me, the process of posting a picture a day of our vacation has done much to help me cherish and remember the time Carrie and I had to enjoy one another's company and reflect upon 30 years of married life, good and bad.
Have you taken time to examine your life in time-lapse? How do you find purpose in your life? What do you think, is the purpose of your life? Really? If part of your purpose is to be happily married with great kids, what are you doing to assure or encourage such? If your purpose is to climb the corporate ladder and achieve wealth, will that bring enough purpose and sufficient reward? What have you learned from your mistakes and errors? Most importantly of all, what will the result be when you check off this planet? Will a legacy remain? Will your soul continue? How do you know?
These footprints have been laid in faith; not just faith in the positive, faith in people or faith in my job, my marriage, my kids, my friends, rather faith in God. He and I talk. I find myself listening more than speaking these days while praying less for myself but more for others He brings to mind. This heart has discovered solace, energy, hope, appreciation and beauty in my circumstance and life. Indeed, I am thankful that my LORD has led me to appreciate the beauty of moment and movement He has directed in this life. How about you? When did you last take inventory, consider highlights and lowlights, trials, sorrows as the forging of purpose into your life? Have you invited God into your midst? Really?
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