A WORD FOR TODAY, October 29, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, October 29, 2024
“That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.” 1 John 1:1-4, WEB
I am almost finished processing my pictures from our vacation a few weeks ago. I took a lot of photos, over five thousand, and I’m not one of those people who just dumps piles of photos on the internet. I like to choose the best, and I like to describe what is seen in the photos. My posts tend to be more like a travelogue than a picture album. I do some research before I post so that I am sure that I’m using the right names, places, and other information. I often pick up ideas and stories as I go, sometimes from tour guides or other visitors, or signs along the path. I often photograph the signs, but my memory isn’t perfect, so I try to verify the information and stories I heard before posting.
I discovered during my research that we missed a lot of things that would have been wonderful to see and experience. Sometimes it would have been a quick stop, a few extra minutes of hiking. Sometimes I saw the feature but didn’t pay attention because I didn’t know it was there. Sometimes we were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the conditions just did not make it feasible. Yellowstone National Park is more than 3000 square miles with a thousand miles of hiking trails. It is impossible to see it all in three days. It is probably impossible to see it all even if you visited a hundred times.
As a photographer, I was well aware of certain iconic photos that I should try to get. I wanted to take a picture of the rainbow at the base of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I wanted to capture the sunrise at Mormon Row with the Grand Tetons in the background. I wanted the Grand Prismatic Spring in all its glory. And of course, I wanted perfect photos of all the incredible wildlife in the places we visited. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the most iconic photos for many reasons.
As it turns out, the only time to see the rainbow at the falls is during a certain hour in the morning in July. The iconic photo of the Tetons behind the barn at Mormon Row was impossible because smoke from nearby wildfires filled Jackson Hole. We couldn’t even see the sun, let alone the mountains. I got some terrific pictures of the Grand Prismatic Spring, but we would have had to take an hour-long drive/hike to get to the observation point to see it from overhead. We just did not have the time. And though I managed to capture many of the animals in pictures, you can’t count on them to be in the right place at the right time.
Even though I’m somewhat disappointed that I didn’t get those special shots, out of thousands of photos I managed to capture so much of our vacation with wonderful photos. As a matter of fact, some of the pictures I did get are even better than if I had gotten “the” photos. There was something ethereal about Mormon Row bathed in haze and seeing the colors of the Grand Prismatic Spring from eye level. We were lucky we saw the animals we did see (bears, bison, elk, moose, and a bald eagle!) as we’ve heard stories from many people who did not see a single critter during their visit. When we take a vacation like we did, we want to experience every experience, but we need to be grateful for what we did see and do. We’ll just have to go back!
My thoughts on my photography adventures made me think about our lives of faith. I look at those iconic photos with a certain amount of envy, and I confess that I sometimes envy those who have an amazing story of faith. Think about Paul! He met Jesus on the road to Damascus and was transformed in an incredible way. He went from being an enemy of the Church to being the world’s most prolific evangelist. I have heard dramatic salvation stories, ones that make an impact on those who listen. My story is so boring. I don’t have one dramatic moment; I have a lifetime of growing in grace. I can share unique experiences, but I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know Jesus. My children are the same.
We don’t all need to get those iconic photos, and we don’t all need a dramatic moment of salvation. God has given us each a unique experience in this world. Our purposes are different, and so God has given us what we need to do what He’d have us do. If we all had Damascus Road experiences, Paul’s witness would be diminished. If there were no one who had grown in faith from childhood, we would not see the importance of a person like Timothy in the story of the Church. I might not be able to count myself among those who have a waterfall rainbow in my collection, but I do have a bear eating berries and sunrise over Lake Yellowstone. My life is unique and my witness is unique. God can use it to His glory if I stop comparing myself (and my photos) to someone else’s. Someone needs to see a life like mine to believe in Jesus, and someone needs to see a life like yours, too.
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