gratitude through the lens

I most certainly don't want to make this a whining session, but last night I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and a bit discouraged. I was upset that I was sick with another sinus infection, that Ian was feeling so ill, and that what (in my mind) should be a hot and humid July (it is summer, after all) really felt like a cool day in October requiring jeans and sweaters. (Hey, I look forward to our three months of hot weather here in the northeast.) And then I was frustrated that we didn't have water again; that we were probably going to have to dump a bunch of money into a new water pump (we seem to average one pump every two summers.) 

And then the sun started to shine just as it was beginning it's deep descent down to the horizon. Any photographer knows that this is the perfect time for photos, the light just right at this angle. So I grabbed my camera and set out to view gratitude through the lens.

I will say that it was quite an effective exercise in thankfulness. I was reminded of all of the beauty and wonder that surround us out here in the country. I felt peace as I sat in the pasture with my alpacas, listening to them hum and munch on the grass. The chickens pecking at my nail-polished toes made me laugh (how could I not, those silly hens.) Picking up the day's eggs filled me with wonder and awe and thankfulness for this small provision of sustenance.

I felt so incredibly grateful for all of the homegrown vegetables and herbs we have growing in our backyard, and so thankful for the plentiful land that we have to grow it all on. The surprise sunflowers that popped up in our landscaping (seeds left over from the winter's bird feed) really made me smile, and I won't dare tear those out even though their rooting place is a bit random. 

I was thankful for a hard-working husband who also happens to be very handy at many things. I was thankful for my dad, brother-in-law and a neighbor who came to help pull our 215-feet-deep pump up out of the earth. I was thankful for God's provision of money to cover the expenses (a provision that came unexpectedly and surprisingly.) 

I felt much more at peace when I finished the little gratitude photo shoot. Focusing on blessings and the beauty right there around me gave me such peace and assurance in the faithfulness of my Heavenly Father. I was, once again, reminded of the importance of gratitude in every day life. There are always blessings. Sometimes it just takes an intentional heart and eye to see them.