Sometimes when we look for mountains to photograph, we may miss the beauty of flowers in the ditches.
Yellow flowers I saw in the ditch alongside the road I was walking on looking for Mountains to photograph.
In photography, and in life, some things grab our intention more than others. Mountains make a good example of one of those things that really grabs our attention. As photography enthusiasts, when we see a mountain, we want to photograph it. How could we let an opportunity to photograph something that grand and majestic in God’s creation pass by without us at least taking a couple photos? But when we’re looking for those mountains, we need to be careful not to overlook the simple beauty that might be near us.
Flowers in the Ditches
I spent part of this summer in Colorado with my son and his Trail Life USA scouting troop. The basecamp we stayed at was in a mountain valley. We could see the mountains, but they were quite far away.
From that camp, we would daily drive in 15 passenger vans to various adventure locations. Those vans we the only transportation we had. Because of this, I did not have access to a personal vehicle, and I therefore could not drive to get closer to the mountains to photograph them. But as a photographer I really wanted to photograph the mountains that were so close, yet so far.
One free morning during our weeklong trip, I decided to take a walk to see if I could find any photographic views of the mountains. I took a long walk down the dirt road that led to the camp, but I couldn’t find a great place to photograph the mountains.
Simply Beauty Overlooked
Some more flowers I saw in the ditch while looking to photograph mountains
As I walked, some of the immediate beauty around me began to catch my attention. I noticed how the light was hitting the pine trees and grasses that were along the road. The simple beauty I saw resonating in my heart. I sensed God’s presence, and that gave me a feeling of contentment.
I also noticed the flowers in the ditches along the dirt road. Those flowers in the ditches began to glow as the morning light trickled down to greet them. The flowers liked the lowly ditches, because, through the ditches God provided extra moisture to help the flowers flourish.
So, in the lowly ditches shined these gorgeous flowers. But in the process of looking for the majesty of mountains, I almost overlooked their simple, yet amazing beauty.
Flowers in the Ditches of Life
How often, not only in photography, but in life do we overlook the flowers in the ditches while searching for far off mountains? I know that the ditches of life may not seem ideal, but God may use those ditches to bring us life giving water when we experience dry times.
Something else that is interesting about those flowers in the ditches is that the flowers don’t bloom when the water flows in the ditch. They bloom later. In life, when we may be in a metaphorical ditch, God may bring us water to prepare us to bloom later.
The dirt road I walked along the morning I photographed the flowers in the ditches. You can see the mountains in the distance.
When you go out to take photographs of something majestic and awe inspiring, don’t forget to notice the simple beauty that might be normally overlooked. And remember that in our lives God, often puts life giving water, beauty and flowers in the ditches.
PS
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