Captured Chaos

Do you know what the beauty of photography is?  

To me it is the captured moment.

It is the moment of calm that you find in the midst of all the chaos.

I had a friend text me and say, "Thanks for Capturing our Chaos."  I thought about that and laughed because isn't that the truth!  We know of all the tears, the kiddos that just didn't want to sit still, the bribery with M&M's (sometimes for both kids and parents!), the stress of just trying to get a few good photos.  Others will see the developed picture though and have no idea the back story behind it--they will simply just see a captured moment of a family smiling together in perfect unity.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret--not every picture a photographer takes is good or even usable (Shh, I know..shocking!).  Sometimes it takes hundreds of photos just to find the few that are frame worthy.  I used to be so hard on myself because I would want to just click my camera and have a perfect picture come out--I got so mad when I would sit down and find only 10 good photos in the midst of 100.  I longed to be perfect like every other photographer (because we always believe everyone else has it all figured out).

I realized though that you have to take lots of pictures in order to find that one moment of calm in the midst of all the chaos.  If you don't keep clicking, keep refocusing, you will miss that split second moment when a smile erupts, when eyes sparkle, and when a personality is captured by a simple expression.  You can't give up because you never know when that moment will come.

Life is a lot like photography.  There is chaos all around us--events in our life that make us think that there is no way we can capture any beauty in the midst of all this.  The devil attacks us with every obstacle there is and everything inside of us just wants to give up, but then that still small voice inside us says--don't give up, don't give in, keep trying.

Not everyone will understand your journey and all the work you have put into becoming who you are.  Not everyone will see your depth or your fight or your unwillingness to give up.  People only get to see captured moments--when everything looks simple, normal, and fine.  My encouragement to you though is to look at those pictures and moments in your life, remember all the chaos behind the scenes, and smile big because while it may have taken a hundred tries, you did it.  You are stronger than you think you are.  You are more beautiful than you think you are.  Your life has more purpose than what you think it does.  You are God's workmanship, His art--You my dear are frame worthy.

Don't stop capturing life's moments, no matter how chaotic things may get because there is ALWAYS beauty in the midst of chaos, you just have to be willing to look for it.