I love long exposure photography. In our quick, get it now society, a lot of times we focus on the now, the instant gratification - and a lot of times that’s okay. The world is still beautiful and full of wonders that can be captured in an instant - but, when you take time, add patience, and allow the world to slow down around you, you can be gifted so much more.
Long exposure photography gives me opportunity to look at the eternal perspective. If you look beyond the moment, you will always find peace and understanding.
I remember last year, the ward we had come to love so much was split into two different wards. We ended up going to the New ward, which was combined with another in our stake. In the moment it was hard, we were “losing” friends, being released from beloved callings - everything was changing and it saddened us all. In that moment, Time was hard to understand or even to appreciate. But now, after a year, we can look back and see what developed over that time. We have founded new friendships that we might not have otherwise, learned new things about ourselves, become comfortable and happy in New cherished and beloved callings. The long exposure to time has give us a beautiful picture we couldn’t see in the snapshot of the moment a year ago.
My goal for 2018 is to be more deliberate. Enjoy the world around me. Take time to let time slow down and process it all. I will never see the full picture in this lifetime, but I know that if I allow the benefit of a long exposure, I will be blessed with a better, maybe even an eternal perspective.
"Looking forward with an eternal perspective gives one HOPE, a reason to look up and feel gratitude for even the smallest bit of light."~ Rosemary M Wixom
