"In order to glimpse the glory of God
where he hides himself in creation
we actually have to engage with creation."
Bill Walsh
Outside the front door...
Under the live oak trees...
Leaning against a tall pine...
Through the pasture...
Out in the open fields...
Into the backyard...
Straightening the welcome mat and pouring tall glasses of sweet iced tea—with special greetings to those finding their way here thanks to Women of Faith and Patsy's Porch.
Grateful for an unseasonably cool June morning, I slipped on old ballet shoes (quiet shoes, remember), grabbed my camera, and wandered about our few Pollywog Creek acres.
Visitors to our property must wonder what I see worthy of a camera. The colorful glories of spring faded long ago in summer's harsh rays, and the landscaping around our modest home is in great need of attention.
Wildflowers in the fields and pasture struggle to break through the drought-dry topsoil only to wilt lifeless—thirsty and parched.
Rusty fencing needs repair, the creek is barely a trickle, and the neighbor's shed—one side supported by an old toilet—spoils the view across the nearly dried-up pond to the south.
No, it's not the place I'd choose to visit for photographs these days, but it's what God has given me. It's a slice of the world that He has created, and everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.
So I receive this brittle-dry ground and the unsightly views beyond its fences with much thanksgiving; and I grab my camera, and I ask God to show me glimpses of His glory, the work of His hands, and He never fails to do so.
And as these photos prove, not every photo is stunning or even noteworthy, but that's not the point. The camera is both the brush with which I paint and the tool God uses to open my eyes to the beauty at my feet. It's like Patsy said, "educate your eye". It's how I am cultivating an eye for life's mercies while I wander through the thorns and weeds of life.
What about you? How and where are you seeing the hidden glimpses of God's glory in Creation?
