Through His lens...

I'll admit it - I have am obsessive type personality. If I'm into a really good book, I'm kind of obsessed and not much gets done around the house till the book is read. If I get struck by the writing bug, or blogging bug, or (love the two times a year this happens!) cleaning bug, then that is all I want to do for a time - while the obsession lasts (some are kind of short term... like that last one). I'm trying to learn to be a more even keeled person, living a bit more in balance. But sometimes when the passion for these things strikes I do get some of my best writing, reading, cleaning, etc done.

That brings us to my latest obsession. I have been browsing the internet to learn more about taking pictures (I would say "photography" but that word, to me, suggests some kind of finesse in the art. "Taking pictures" describes what I am doing much better for now...), I have been watching tutorials on shutter speed, aperture, and editing. I have even taken the geeky step of sitting down with my camera owners manual and *gasp* reading some of it. Pretty much what I have learned is: there is alot I don't know. :) But through my tinkering, and playing, and discovering, I have noticed something really neat. Things that I have never noticed before are suddenly jumping out at me and becoming picturesque. Things that I used to try to ignore, and thought were quite unattractive, are instantly beautiful through the lens of my camera. For instance; our farm is over 70 years old. Buildings that I'm sure were sturdy and useful in their time are now little more than shacks. - Some just a lean-to of very old sticks. Broken and coming apart. Really no use for such things. I had wanted a nice clean home area, with out such things marring it - But then I focused my camera on this one ~

And when the evening sun hit it just right and the shadows fell around it I saw some thing I had never seen before when looking in that direction. Character, fascination, and even some beauty. Next I focused on an old barn which Dave has begun to reinforce and restore so that it can actually be used. And wow - once again, the sun filtered through the tree and I wondered what stories this building could tell.

An old grain bin that I have often mentally wished away. When you turn into our driveway this is one of the first things you see. -Wouldn't really be my first choice. We don't farm the land we own, we rent it out. We rent this grain bin dryer out as well. Kind of rusty, pretty big, not real nice. But through the lens... well, it kind of changed my perspective. It seemed more timeless. Telling of all things country in Michigan. Little boys running around an acreage and loving it...

It all made me think about how we become different through God's "lens" of righteousness that he looks upon us with. We are all pretty ugly on the inside. Kind of just fallen down useless creatures. Eye sores really. But what a miracle that through Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross, taking our sin and shame, we have become beautiful. Clean Useful for purposes beyond what we ever could have imagined All through His lens.