To everything there is a season.....

(Warning: this promises to be a long, long post, in which I am very transparent about myself. Though, I'm hoping that through this transparency, that I might be able to help another with what I learned.) 

Normally, I have to brainstorm for an appropriate blog title. But today, I had many of them, and it was hard to choose just one. 

Here's some of them.

"Learning Life's Lessons"

(which would've fit, and was my old blog's name.)

"Lessons learned from God's creation"

"Lessons learned from photography"

I could go on and on. But I think that the title that won, was the best choice. I told ya''ll a post or 2 ago, that I've been doing a lot of Bible reading and studying. I also said that I was going through a tough situation in my life. Sadly, I still cannot elaborate on it....yet. And the situation has not yet progressed to either better or worse, which I must say, has irked me. While many of you were talking about Christ's resurrection and praising Him yesterday, I'm sad to say, I was questioning Him. 

"God, why are you not answering my prayers? I prayed and fasted all last week for something to happen, and yet I'm still in the dark. Why, God? You said in your Word that if I trusted in you, and prayed, that you would answer. You said for me to be faithful, and I have. So why are you not doing what I want you to do?!"

Oops. That was my problem, wasn't it? I was expecting God to work on my time table, not allow Him to work on His. And the truth is, He had answered my prayer. He said, "Wait a little longer. It's not my timing yet. Some things must come to pass first." 

Saturday, I did everything like normal on the outside, but on the inside I was in turmoil. Have you ever done that? I think I was getting depressed. I had a ton of free time, but I didn't want to take pictures, read, talk, text, write, cook, bake, or even play the piano, which I rarely get to do. I sat on the grass, and stared at the street for an hour, and complained to God. You know, we always condemn Bible characters who did this, but you don't realize what it's like until you're there. Saturday evening at dusk, Rachel wanted to take some pictures. So I went around the yard with her, going through the motions of taking pictures without even thinking about it. 

But today as I was editing the pictures I had taken, the Lord began to teach me lessons from them.

Each petal helps to make a rose beautiful. But it took time to fully bloom. 

I found this flower close to the woods, where no one goes. Many people miss it's beauty, but it still blossoms in the "Son-light" with a purpose to honor God. How many of us purpose in our hearts to honor God when no one is watching?

The closer you look at the rose, the more you see the flaws, or black specks that you wouldn't have seen further away. So remember, when you're seeing the black specks, it's because you can only see a small part of the picture. But God sees the whole lovely rose, and He knows all the trials that little rose had to go through to bloom. And even though you may be in full bloom, there may still be dark specks, or trials in your life.

James 1:2-4  "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

And remember, that no matter who you are, that you have a little bud watching you. 

In the darkest of times, is when the Son looks the brightest, and when He's glorified the most. 

And even when all you can see what appears to be a brick wall....

.....God always provides a way.

 And when it seems as though life has lost it's color and vibrance....

.......your spiritual glasses just may be clouded. Get into God's living Word, and you'll begin to see things in the right light again.

Proverbs 4:18  "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

 You know how we photographers love bokeh?

Well, there would be no bokeh, without some darkness.

And lastly......

Remember to look up.

Ecclesiastes 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: