Visual Verses #7
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:4-5
Early last week, I received a text from a friend saying that her visit with cancer specialists in Seattle was complete. We weren’t expecting a perfect report, but each day that goes by without her cancer advancing in a life threatening way is really a miracle. I was thankful she was able to avoid another surgery that might have prevented her from seeing family over the Thanksgiving weekend.
God doesn’t just deserve our gratitude when there’s nothing wrong or when there is amazing news. These verses tell us to bring Him thanksgiving and praise, not because life is good, but because He is good. The closer we get to God, the easier it is to see the way he is working all things in our life, including trials, for our ultimate benefit. Even cancer, though clearly a result of the world’s separation from God, He uses to radically alter the way we value other people and our relationships with them.
This photo of Nugget Falls, which tumbles into the Mendenhall Lake, was made on Thanksgiving Day a few years ago. It was one of the few times it’s been easy for me to remember a greater “vision” in the midst of the creative process. Nugget falls has a remarkable ability to continue flowing, at least on some small level, through even the coldest times of year. In that way, it represents to me the way our thankfulness should be poured out to God. It also reflects his faithful goodness to us.
"Thanksgiving Flow" - Nugget Falls cascades over rocks on a warm Thanksgiving Day
Kent, I keep meaning to comment that I’m definitely enjoying this series! (Sorry it’s taken till now.) I’m an Eastern Orthodox Christian, and it’s always interesting and a little intimidating to contemplate how one can bring deeper meaning to a hobby like photography that has potential to be very self-indulgent. I really admire how you’re choosing verses in this series that don’t obviously lend themselves to nature illustration. These posts are well beyond the “God is good because sunsets are pretty” level!
November 28, 2011 at 10:28 am
Thanks for your feedback, Jackson. There isn’t a vast audience that this journal reaches, so it’s great to hear that those who read it see a value in what I’m sharing. Congratulations on your baby boy! There are few blessings quite a rich as those that come with being a dad.
November 28, 2011 at 9:24 pm