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| ©CherieElainePhotography2023 |
I have a very stressful job. Not because the work is hard, but because the people are. Part of my job description requires that I am counselor and referee. Sometimes, though, things escalate beyond my control and my only recourse is to leave. I am so thankful that my profession as a photographer takes me away from the chaos and out into the wild place that is Wyoming and I get to breathe, and shoot photographs and be my wild mountain self for a while.
Sometimes I am on that mountaintop and things are quiet and peaceful and I go out just for fun.
NOT so yesterday. Everything within me just wanted to get away from this seeming valley of death.
I've been dealing with a number of health issues. Most of them are correctable, some are chronic and will never go away, and all are exasperated by stress. I've been living in the valley, in the shadow, and its been a lot to handle when combined with aforementioned stressful job.
But here is the beautiful part of living in the valley. You have nowhere to look but up. If you look down, you see your feet. When you're at the bottom, that's it. You only see the bottom looking down. But looking up, oh the looking up.....
My drive yesterday was interrupted, but not in a bad way, by the fast food restaurant I wanted to eat at being closed because their computers were down. Next, finding a gas station, and then finding a place for my dog to get out for a while.
The next event in a disrupted day was a beautiful procession for a fallen EMT officer who lost his life in line of duty. (I was honored to have bumped into that experience, policemen and ambulance and firemen from all over the state shared this final farewell honoring one of their own. I took a few pictures. But mostly I sat and wept in awe.)
That alone was being in the right place at the right time. But that's not my valley story.
This story happened as I was leaving town, going the long way home, curiosity stopping me occasionally for photos of a small Catholic chapel, and a herd of buffalo.
Then miles from town in either direction on a cold winter highway I glance up. And he's there. I had to ask myself if it was real. Was I seeing things? Taking a U-turn, I head back, and on top of the mountain, there he was, regal, and beautiful, and looking down at me.
©CherieElainePhotography2023
Because God knew exactly at what moment I would finally look up and get out of my own sad head, he led this wild, gentle animal to a mountain top. God knew exactly what had to get in my way so we could arrive in this same moment together.
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| ©CherieElainePhotography2023 |
Do you know how many little things God has to orchestrate to put you in the right place at the right time? I get so stuck in the mundane details of my life, in the tension of the every day, that I forget if I just stop and watch for it, God will unfold a mountaintop experience for me!
Am I still in the valley? Yes.
But even without a trail forged for me to the top, I know I can climb that mountain.
Because now I can see the top.
Look up. Love you.
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| ©CherieElainePhotography2023 |
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