I walked up over the little knoll in anticipation of seeing the water and the sun setting. I was happy to see I wasn't too late. I took several photos and with each click the clouds formed a new rendering of the sky.
It wasn't until I looked at the photos on the computer, that I realized there was a bird flying in the upper left hand corner. I also remembered there was a boat on the water and if you look very carefully you will see it. It's there, right smack in the middle of the sunbeam on the water!
I was astonished that I had clicked at just that precise moment to successfully catch it in the beam. It wasn't easy looking through a camera (a digital no less) with the sun blinding you. As if the sun's rays weren't enough, the reflection on the water made it almost impossible to see. So I just snapped and wallah, just what I was hoping for. I don't have PhotoShop or I may have been able to bring out the boat a little more vividly.
I love surprises like that. I love pictures like this. I have always loved the beauty of nature and all that makes up our world. I have always wanted to live where I could look out on the water. But if I never do, I will always treasure these times I had to see it and photograph it.
If I was to caption this photo, it would be a struggle to come up with one that says it all. As I look at it, I feel a sense of peace and calmness. I also feel that even though I may think I am all alone out there floating along in life, I am never alone. It also speaks to me of being in the light and guided by something bigger than myself.
Sometimes life is like that little boat and we are drifting along barely aware of our purpose. Then other times, we are moving through life as fast as our little motor will let us; and while we may kick up a fuss as we go, we miss so much. But no matter what we are doing, we are still in the flow of life and moving along somewhere between heaven and earth. We wonder what is out there. Sometimes we are burned and sometimes we are poured down on. We need to make choices and learn how to cope with what comes along, hopefully learning along the way. Other times we need to just sit back and enjoy the view.
More powerful ships may come by and we may feel like we are holding on for dear life. But as long as we stay in the boat or hold on tight we will be okay. There will be faster speed boats out there and some dingys; some more experienced sailors; and some novices learning the ropes. We all need to share this great sea of life we are in. No matter how small we think we are, we can still help those that are in need whether it be the rowboat that lost its oars or the canoe that has capsized. It is when we reach out to help those in need that we suddenly find our purpose in life and that we aren't the insignificant speck we thought we were.
Most sailors learn to navigate by looking to the heavens or using a compass. With today's technology, we seldom have to rely on such old school techniques. But even the biggest ships need to navigate through storms and can't always count on their high tech equipment to guide them to port.
Where do you look for your guidance? Do you have a compass to guide you? Do you ever look up to see what's in the heavens? Or do you wait to be rescued?
