Title:  Through my lens

Francois Sieberhagen

…what are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals, that you care for them? Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor.  Psalm 8:4-5

From time to time I have the privilege of looking at the world through the lens of camera.  It is surprising to see how the bigger picture suddenly becomes much smaller when taking photos of people and the environment.  But it is true that this smaller picture can remind you of so many memories when looking at it afterwards.  Suddenly the small picture isn’t so small anymore.

It also happens often when we think of events in our lives.  We forget about so many things that happen over a long period of time and then suddenly we remember images and memories made.

Sit still for a moment and think of your life, since the day that you were born until today.  What do you see?  What does the images look like?

There will be pictures that will make you smile broadly.  Maybe you will even laugh out loud.  There will also be the pictures that will make you sad and you will remember sorrow.  There will also be the pictures that remind you of failure, disappointment and those that will make you feel ashamed.  These pictures can easily make us forget about the bigger picture.  We can easily forget the context in which these memories are made and what happened in the end.

The Psalmist also experiences many of these mixed feelings but then he comes to the conclusion.  God is in charge in spite of everything.  God reigns and let things happen to the glory of his name. And that is why he praises him.  And on top of this, God cares for someone who is a speck in comparison to the big universe.  You are important in the small picture, but with a very special place in the bigger universe.

Even though you might feel diminutive and caught up in the small picture today, remember you are part of God’s bigger picture.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live in such a way as to make the bigger picture visible in and through my life.  Amen