One of my favorite photographic perspectives. I call this hug a tree, looking up. It is fun to find just the right tree, the right spot, the right illumination, the right camera placement amount of zoom, the right f-stop, and when all is done, the photograph becomes 'engaging'.
As I had opportunity to preach at the church I attend last weekend, it struck me. I am thankful that I have 'the right God', am in 'the right spot', 'the right illumination', and the right placement and perspective with the right tools to capture my life of faith. With honesty.
While I am far from perfect, far from where I will end up and what I will become, my life, I hope, rises as testimony of God's love, grace and perfect leading through struggle. I have discovered peace in faith, trust in my Almighty God, life through His son Jesus Christ, and power through the leading of The Holy Spirit. Because I am looking, God shows Himself to me, encourages me, helps me, leads me, blesses me and chastises me, just as any good father would do, and I am filled with thanksgiving for His presence in my life!
He has shown me His love in the depths of my sorrows. He comforts me, He provides perspective sooner or mostly later, but when I look, I see Him and trust in His work, for this soul and the souls of others.
The above image was captured on a vacation with my girl, to celebrate 30 years of marriage. The sweetness of it rises from the strength of working through MANY difficulties together. This tree had to fight its way to overcome all that wanted to stunt it's growth, or from the competition of others, to stand tall, and it rises as testimony of victory through the fight.
I am blessed to have a marriage that has stood the test of time, fighting to grow and defeat the challenges of other things trying to pull apart our union. I have discovered that marriage is not made for me to seek satisfaction, but that in satisfying my loving Carrie, our relationship will rise to satisfy me. As I serve, learn, love and appreciate her, it all gets returned, in spades, to me. It took me decades to learn this, and, had we quit when it got hard, would have never found this truth.
I am honored that God has provided such faithfulness to us as we stumbled and walked together through life thus far. He is faithful when we are not. It was impossible for me, on my own, to find myself here, at this place in this moment. Thankful, that God led me to the right lady, whose love for God and me has transcended what we could do and accomplish on our own. Thankful that we have been given His wisdom, guidance and grace along the way, through the decades. Appreciative of His heart, poured into ours through all our struggles, showing us the way beyond them to a far more glorious state after we emerge.
Rising up as a testimony of His grace, His blessing, His love, we can hold (hug) God and look up, seeing His glory revealed at His bidding. It is humbling, He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is faithful to the end, and we, who choose to listen and follow will find Him such. For it is in engaging God that He make our lives, engaging.
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