PICTURE PERFECT

I love to wander. 

We were on a trip out west recently, wandering between Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.  There’s a reason that area of our nation is referred to as “God’s country”!!  Oh my… I don’t know how many times my breath was taken away at what was around the next turn.  How many times I heard the verse my dad liked to recite as we drove Harley together in my younger years:  “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth….” (Psalm 8). 

Anyway.  Somewhere between southern Montana and northern Wyoming, I spotted a mature antelope with beautiful large horns.  He was magnificent.  This guy was literally standing perfectly broadside on a small hill right on the side of the road.  Problem is, at the rate our convertible mustang was traveling on those open roads at the moment, by the time I scrambled out of my seatbelt, turned on my camera, and jumped up on my knees…. he was gone!!  We hit the brakes and slowed down enough to see him running up a distant hill… so I quickly just threw up my camera and grabbed a quick shot… and I mean quick.  GGGrrrr….  I hate missing an opportunity like that.

A good portion of the rest of the ride that day was me grumbling about missing a perfect shot like that.  Broadside!!  Mature antelope!! How often do you see something like that in the wild!!  I replayed it in my mind (as I have a nasty habit of doing anyway).  Should’ve done this… should’ve done that… blah, blah, blah.  That night I downloaded the pics onto my laptop.   I hit slideshow and was reviewing the day’s collection when I came across the following pic of the antelope.

I hit pause and stared.  What are the chances??  What are the chances of a perfectly centered picture… vertically… horizontally… with this beautiful creature at the exact crest of the hill.    And yes... I've measured.  It's perfect. 

I LOVED IT. 

MORE than the classic broadside pose I had missed. 

I just stared at it.  

Something about it drew me in.

Then it came to me.   I was busy fretting over a missed opportunity, but little did I know… God had something better in mind.   A gift.    Just for me.

I've had this post written for awhile, but just didn't know when to publish it.  Never felt right.  Then I got an email update this morning from a friend who's daughter was struggling with a career situation... and I felt prompted to post it.  I KNOW my little picture situation is SO much smaller than her situation and so many others.  A microscopic dot on the canvas of life.   But I also knew at that moment when I had this picture before me that the "picture" was not the point.  The point was that God knows ME better than anyone.  Better than myself.  HE has a life to offer me.  HE has a way to redeem every missed opportunity.  HE has special gifts in store for me.  Sometimes we just need to look backwards before we actually see it.  Then we'll see that HIS plan was... picture perfect.  

Thank you, God… I love you too.