Sunrise Revisited

   A haunting question stays with me from yesterday. Even though I did feel that God wanted me to open my eyes to the beauty all around me in that sunrise hour, and I am sure that it was right to do so, was there more that I should have noticed, or, if I noticed, do something for or about?

   I took all my shots from the pier that juts out into the Sound from the Village area of St. Simons. When I got there, well before dawn, there were only two people on that pier, one looking at his smart phone and the other mending his crab net. I spoke to both and went on my way out to where I could get an unobstructed view of the lighthouse, which was my focal point.

   As I shot and watched the progress of the sunrise, I interacted with several others who came to see that special part of the day. There were:

   An older couple who just sat and waited for the sun to come up

   A Mother and daughter, I presume, who were taking pictures also, of the sun and each other

   Another couple who sat and talked and then took some IPad pictures

   A fisherman, who moved to the other end of the area and set up his gear

   A county patrolman, who came out to take a shot to email back to his wife who was in Virginia

   I noticed all of these, but was so busy looking for the perfect shot, that they were just there, not important at all. But were they? Did God send them my way for a reason?

   Sure, I talked to each one, was nice and acknowledged their presence, but my stuff was too important to let them get in the way.

   It was a Sunday morning, and each of those others were out there to reflect in the beauty of that moment in time. As I reflected later yesterday, I realized that my shot settings on the camera and getting the lighting correct, were the important things to me.

   When my agenda is more important than the people around me, then my priorities are out of whack.

   So, even though I did get some good pictures, I probably lost the opportunity to show several people that they were important, maybe more important than my camera, and that was probably not God's agenda.

   I said yesterday that God told me to open my eyes and see, but there was more than the colored sky and the ball of fire rising out of the ocean, there were real live people out there.

   The sun will come up another day, and I might be there to see it, but those particular people may not ever cross my path again, and I failed to pay attention.

   Rats!

   Maybe I don't only need to open my eyes, but see through God's as well.