The Dark Room

Recently I stumbled across a photo from a novice film photographer much like the one above. He had set his camera up to capture the sunset and when he developed the film, was surprised to find that the image was much more than what he expected. While he had been focusing on the perfectly timed shot of the sun going down, he had captured a dolphin leaping out of the water at the very same moment.

I can't help but think how much our lives are like that picture.

The Lord often takes us into the dark room to be developed. He has so perfectly captured the season of life that we're walking into, but little do we know what is about to show up. It's a process - a journey - one that you have to walk through every single step because if you miss one part of the development process, the picture won't unfold the way it was meant to look. But even more than that, how often do we go through the season in the dark room only to discover that something surprising has shown up in the process. That "perfectly timed" moment has been captured in a way that is so unexpected, but it's that reminder that everything happens in God's perfect timing. He has created a beautiful picture through our lives, full of constant surprises that continue to blow us away.

Look back over your life for a moment and think about a season where you lived in worry, anxiousness and fear. Was it worth it? Did what you fear actually happen, and even if it did, was your life ruined because of it? I would venture to say that while your life hasn't gone the way you anticipated, it's unfolded in better ways than you could have written for yourself. Because of that, why do you still worry about tomorrow? A friend reminded me this morning of the Provers 31 woman - "Clothed in strength and dignity, with nothing to fear she smiles when she thinks about the future."

So no matter the season you're in, whether it feels like darkness, whether there is uncertainty, whether there is fear...remember that God is developing something beautiful in you. Surrender all of your worries to him and anticipate the future that he has in store for you. Who knows what you'll see when the picture He's created is hung up to dry, but I guarantee you'll step back, take it all in...and smile. :)