I remember the day well. Throughout my senior year of high school I had taken up photography. My dad gave me an Olympus OM10 35mm camera. I hadn't been very interested in photography very much until I was given this camera. I signed up and took "introduction to photography". I was asked to be the darkroom assistant to help answer questions people might have when developing negatives or printing photographs. I remember doing a report on an autobiography on Ansel Adams. He talked about discovering beauty and pursuing a "fine" photograph. He talked many times about photographing Yosemite National Park.
I struggled in photography to develop my "eye". Every good photographer has an "eye" for a good photograph. I tried to constantly push myself to "see" a photograph wherever I went. I would pay attention to the lighting, the shapes, focal points, and tones of color in each scene that would come across my eyes. It took more training that I would have expected. Suddenly a cloud wasn't just a cloud, it was an object to be captured on film that could tell a story. A mountain, a cactus, or a boulder were all objects with beauty waiting to be discovered. Captured. Shared. The purpose of looking at the world around me changed. I began to look up when I walked...not just watching the ground or the placement of my steps. However I found that something else was happening. I wasn't only developing my "eye" for photography.
When we drove over the hill and Half Dome in Yosemite came into view. I had to pull over. I was overwhelmed. The absolute majesty of that scene was paralyzing to me. I felt in awe and wonder about the absolute beauty. That big pile of granite was just there. It wasn't doing anything special. It was just sitting there in the sun. But God had made that granite to show His beauty and majesty. I gotta tell you, that day Half Dome did its job well. The only response I could come up with, was the only possible one with the new "eye" He had given me...God is amazing.
Worship -Part 2
Unlikely Worship?
I will praise the Lord today for He makes all things beautiful. This statement sounds great. It has all the makings of a perfect Christian-ese platitude...