day four and counting....

A pause for reflection. I always tell my photographic students that if you want to determine where you are going with your craft, look back, pause, and reflect on what you have already achieved. Too often we can't see the wood for the trees, we need to step back occasionally and take a calming breath.

I started this blog for personal reasons, i wanted to ascertain where i was headed and desparately needed a backwards glance over my life. Convinced that i had been gifted that second chance, i wasn't about to "mess it up". I deliberately chose those biblical characters because i relate to them. In a different time they could have been me.

Jonah and the whale, a story that everyone remembers from their childhood. I seriously doubt that we truly understood it when it first came to our attention. On the surface, a tale of obedience to God and the consequences of not obeying. Jonah was told to go to Nineveh and preach repentance of their sins or else face the wrath of God. Jonah refused because they weren't jews, they were "unclean". What he didn't realise that they were still God's creation, this was shown him when he cried out to God in the heat of the day and God provided a vine to give him shade. To prove a point God then removed the vine and it's shade showing Jonah that all/everything was under His control.

The story of Job is about faith and despite everything that happens to poor old Job, he still continued to praise God. The devil (who caused all of the bad fortune that beset Job) was defeated by Job's steadfast faith and praise. Job had lost everything, his family, house and livestock. His body was covered in wet open sores, all that he had left him was that small glimmer of life giving hope and faith in God. Never once did he blame God. His story has a happy ending where God grants him more that he had before. I am reminded of that phrase:"Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, then all else will be given you...."

And finally, the prodigal son. He leaves the loving security of his home to seek fame and fortune elsewhere. How often has the grass looked greener, for us, on the other side of the fence. It is also the story of having too much money splashed around and gaining only fair weather "friends". As that old blues song goes:"nobody wants you, when you are down and out....." Coming to his senses feeding swill to that most unclean of animals (to a good jewish boy), he returns home, hopefully to work as a servant to his father. But that is not what happens. Looked at from a different perspective if we truly repent and ask forgiveness, God will welcome us back with open arms. God/Jesus will accept us just as we are, in all of our filth and depravity. It is not necessary to clean up our act before approaching Him, that is just wasting time we could have spent in His presence.

Amazingly, handing over control to Him has not lost me my freedom. Jesus has given me the will to live and to use what ever talent ( which is food for another blog) that i possess to the Glory of His Name.