Ready for the Road Ahead ~ Photography, Faith and the Art of Seeing 11
 
This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            I’ve been blessed to travel to Israel three times.  I traveled there to study the land of the Bible which truly was a gift from God.  On my first trip I earned the distinction of the student who took the most pictures- EVER!  I was still using my 35mm SLR camera then and brought home 36 rolls of pictures!  When the opportunity came up to return to Israel during my seminary studies I decided it was to my advantage to look into a simple digital camera.  I had heard that digital cameras could hold hundreds of pictures.  So I invested in an inexpensive Sony Cybershot and a memory card that I was told could hold up to 7,000 pictures.  But, as is typical of a lot of us, I never really bothered to read the manual that came with the camera.  All I wanted to know was which button to push to record the picture!  I had originally thought I’d just bring the Cybershot on my trip, but gut instinct had me packing my SLR camera and a few rolls of film “just in case”.  It’s a good thing I did.  After about 30 pictures, the Cybershot informed me the memory stick was “full”.  What?!  I remember sitting on the tour bus looking at the camera and thinking that this dilemma was a complete mystery.  Why I decided to leave the manual home is beyond me.  Because of that poor decision I had no way of figuring out what the issue was until I returned home and the review screen was so small I was afraid to erase any pictures I’d taken for fear of deleting something important.  But the camera refused to take any more pictures unless I deleted something.  It wasn’t until I returned home that I learned of my erroneous assumption.  Who knew that if I wanted thousands of digital pictures I needed to adjust the way the camera recorded them?  I had a lot to learn about digital photography and lesson #1 was always read the camera manual!
  
          The Book of Leviticus contains many of God’s “rules” but instead of being a master list of all the things we should and shouldn’t do, it is more like an instruction manual that aids us in getting the best out life.  God’s manual emphasizes 6 principles that illustrate our relationship with Him.  The first is that God is righteous and He requires restitution for wrong thus the sacrificial system was inaugurated to accomplish this (Lev. 1-10).  That system became obsolete with Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross (Heb. 7:27; 9:11-14).  The second principle is that a perfect and holy God cannot be recklessly approached by imperfect people without the sacrificial shedding of blood (Lev. 11-15).  Thanks to Christ, who acts as our Mediator, we can now approach God without fear through His blood which was shed on the cross (Heb. 10:19-22).  The third is that Israel’s covenant relationship with God had to be renewed on a yearly basis since the blood of animals was only a temporary solution to the eternal problem of sin.  The Day of Atonement was designated as that day (Lev. 16-17).  Christ offered a permanent solution to the eternal problem of sin to all who believe in the atoning work of His death on the cross (Rom. 3:21-25; Heb. 2:14-17; 9:23-28; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; 4:10).  Fourth, God is holy, therefore the way we live in covenant with Him must reflect that (Lev. 18-22; 27).  Jesus said our obedience to God’s instructions truly demonstrate how much we love Him and the Father (Jn. 14: 15, 21, 23) and James took note that if obedience was not evident in a person’s life their faith was most likely dead (Js. 2:18-26).  The fifth principle recognizes that God and only God is to be worshipped and recognized as the One who is active in human history (Lev. 23-25) a fact recounted in numerous psalms and many of the sermons in the Book of Acts (Ps. 68; 78; 105; 106; 111; 114; 135; 136; 149; Acts 2:14-36; 7:2-54; 13: 13-43).  And finally, obedience to God’s Law (i.e. rules) bring blessings to His covenant people (Lev. 26).   Blessing from a life of obedience is not a form of bribery that God uses to entice people to obey Him but a demonstration of God’s eagerness to bestow good things on those who love Him (Lev. 25: 18-19; Dt. 4: 30-31; 6:3; 11:26-28; 28:30).  Disobedience not only deprives God of this pleasure but inevitably causes pain and suffering on the part of the believer who strays off God’s path (Gal. 5: 16-25).  When I see those early pictures taken in Israel on the Cybershot they are vibrant and rich but I would have had so many more if I’d read the instructions.  They have become a great reminder that it’s even more important to read God’s manual too.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

Ready for the Road Ahead ~ Photography, Faith and the Art of Seeing 10
 
This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            I confess there are times when I take pictures that are bad.  Really!  They’re out of focus, the horizon is tilted, the composition is poor and it’s usually due to the fact that I took the picture too quickly without paying attention to the details.  Most of the time I delete them.  But every now and then I like to challenge myself to make something out of one of those horrible shots.  This involves lots of time playing in my photo processing program until the finished product looks nothing like what it started out as.  Sometimes I will share the results with other photographers and ask, “What do you think you’re looking at?”  Not too many are able to figure it out.  It never appears to look exactly like what it was but these fun adventures in photo processing have taught me that life can look that way too and the Bible is full of stories that prove it.
   
         The ancient city of Jericho had a long-standing history by the time the people of Israel began the conquest of the Promised Land.  Due to its strategic location, this walled city was destroyed and rebuilt several times before Joshua and his army set eyes on it.  By Joshua’s time the “wall” was actually a double wall.  You can still see the remains of this massive defense system when you visit Israel today.  It takes a little doing, but using your imagination one can see how formidable Jericho must have looked to the people of Israel.  They had spent the last 40 years wandering around the wilderness area on the other side of the Jordan River.  Word comes from the Lord on how to take the city but I’m sure a few eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that the plan involved only shofars and walking!  But archaeology proves what the Bible claims- the wall came down.  It really came down!  Interestingly, one section remained intact.  Now I wondered why that happened?!  (Jos. 6:1-27).

            A similar situation arose during the ministry of Jesus (Jn. 11:1-44).  Jesus had been on the road ministering to and healing the sick.  While he was away his friend and follower Lazarus of Bethany had taken ill and died.  A message for Jesus to come and heal Lazarus had not reached Jesus in time so that when the Lord arrived in Bethany the days of mourning were almost over.  Lazarus’ sisters greeted Jesus in their typically opposite fashion but both took note that if Jesus had arrived earlier Lazarus may not have died.  Neither sister knew Jesus’ understanding of his friend’s death.  But Jesus had already told his disciples the reason.  “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of Man may be glorified in it” (Jn. 11:4).  The scene moves to the graveside where all the mourners and family believe Jesus has come to express His sorrow but instead Jesus asks them, “What are you looking at?” (only in “my” verison!).  The tomb is not an ending; it is merely a testimony to the One who has power over life and death.

            Life is full of “Jerichos”; those double-walled times when whatever we face seems insurmountable.  I find myself standing and staring at them just as I did when I actually stood in Jericho looking at that famous wall.  They seem massive and well-built, and I am a little rag-tag army who has spent most of her life roaming in the wilderness.  But just as archaeology has supported the Biblical account of Jericho’s fall, past events in my life prove that God is more than able to see that those walls will come down.  It is inevitable that life will also bring you to a tomb.  It may appear that “the picture:” is bad or a dream is dead, but when Jesus puts it into the photo processing program, you’ll be amazed by what He turns out.  The Bible is filled with people who saw God do amazing things in the face of insurmountable obstacles.  Here are just a few:  Ex. 14:5-31; 2 Ki. 6:8-23; Mt. 14: 13-21; 17:24-27; Lk. 7:11-17.  There was no greater obstacle than the one Jesus faced in conquering sin and death.  But the Resurrection proves He was able to overcome what seemed to be impossible (Jn. 20:1-18).  There is no Jericho that God cannot break through.  There is no tomb that can stop Him.  If you are facing “a wall” in your life right now or “a tomb”, take heart!  Thanks to Jesus, that wall is going down and the tomb is an event in your life designed to glorify Jesus!  So, what are you looking at?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

Ready for the Road Ahead ~ Photography, Faith and the Art of Seeing 9
 
This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            When our boys were young we didn’t have a lot of money for family vacations so we became very creative in how we took them.  We called our vacations “mystery trips”.  While Jeff kept the boys occupied I would pack the car with the necessary items and then we would announce we were going for a drive.  Most of the time our trips were picnics at the park or going to the DQ for an ice cream.  The best ones though involved an overnight stay near the beach.  We’d get up, have breakfast and load them into the car as if we were going to the supermarket or some place local.  But when we passed by all the usual stomping grounds and headed on to the highway the excitement level would rise in the back seat and the inevitable question, “Where are we going Mom?” would be asked.  “It’s a mystery!” I’d reply and our sons would then proceed to look for clues as to our destination.
    
        The Bible is full of people who set out on journeys to unknown locations- at least unknown to most of them.  Perhaps the grandest journey of them all was the trip taken by the entire nation of Israel when they left Egypt and headed out to the Promised Land.   Ex. 2: 25 says that God “saw the sons of Israel and took notice of them” because the burden of their slavery was so great.   He selects a unique man to be His liaison.  Born a Hebrew, raised in the Egyptian courts and self-exiled to Midian during his young adulthood, Moses was about to lead a nation “home” although none of them had ever been there!  His genetic connection put him on par with the people.  His knowledge of Egyptian protocol helped to maneuver the request to leave before the ruling pharaoh.  And his experience in the wilderness would help to guide the nation through that vast area which separated them from the land of promise.  This was going to be the ultimate mystery trip!
 
           I love to take pictures when I go on a trip.  Those snapshots help to remind me of the special sights and sounds I experienced on that journey.  Although the Israelites did not have pictures in a scrapbook or photos saved in their iPhones many Scriptures provide snapshots of the Wilderness Mystery Trip for us to “see”.  Those pictures are not always flattering.  While the people did see the Lord work in amazing ways, the Lord also saw some pretty selfish and disobedient behavior on the part of the people.  They complained and grumbled about the food and water, the accommodations, leadership and more (Ex. 15:22-27; 16:1-3; 17:1-3; Num. 12:1-16; 16:3; 20:2-3).  As a result some of their snapshots include several plagues (Ex. 32:35; Num. 16:41), the ground opening up and swallowing the rebellious (Num. 16:31), fire (Num. 11:1-3; 16:35) and venomous snakes when they complained about life if the desert (Num. 21:4-8).  They even complained about the manna (Num. 11:4-6)!   And yet in spite of their pitiful behavior, God still led them through the wilderness and once that disbelieving generation had passed, He brought them to the border of Canaan with this admonition from Moses, “Remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these 40 years, that He might humble you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” (Dt. 8:2).
 
           Our travels along this road we call life can certainly have its twists and turns.  It can appear to be an open highway stretching out forever only to be stopped by unexpected construction and lane closures.  It can have bumps and detours which jar the spine and make us wish our car had better suspension yet suddenly bring us to a scenic overlook with a spectacular view that makes the rough road worthwhile.  As much as we try to plan for it or map out a better route, there is really only one thing we can be sure of- no matter where the road goes, the Lord has taken us on this journey to see what’s in our heart.  The question is that when we look at the pictures of our journey and where it is taking us, will we complain about the food, the water, the desert surroundings or the people in our lives?  Or will we move forward confidently knowing that our “mystery trip” is no mystery to the Good Shepherd who knows exactly where we should go?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

Photography, Faith and the Art of Seeing 8

This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            Photography is an art built on two main components- light and sight.  Without some form of light and its interaction with the subject pictures would not exist.  Sight involves an observant eye to notice and discern what will be worthy of someone’s attention.  Good photographers are constantly on the lookout for interesting things to photograph.  Most of the time they will take pictures of the typical things which inspire and are beautiful: a sunrise or sunset, children, majestic vistas or flowers to name a few of the more common subject matters.  But great photographers are the ones who see more than just the typical things of beauty.  Sometimes they see an object that others would not necessarily deem beautiful but thanks to their particular vision is something that is now deserving of another look.
            God is not in the business of seeing objects or people in the same way we do.  The Old Testament is replete with people chosen by God who would probably never live up to our standards for leadership.  Moses was a murderer.  Gideon was a coward.  Jacob was a liar and a cheater.  But “odd” leadership choices are not limited to the Old Testament.  Most of the disciples were not “religious” people.  Peter, Andrew, James and John were business owners in the fishing industry (Mt. 4:18-22; Lk.5:1-11; Jn. 1:35-42).  One disciple was a political activist, another a skeptic (Lk. 6:12-16; Jn. 1: 43-51), and one a despised tax collector (Mt. 2:14-17; Lk. 5:27-32).  They were not the kind of people you and I would choose to begin a ministry but they were the people Jesus called. 
            I had been leading a study series on the Tabernacle when I stumbled upon a unique passage.  What struck me about this passage was the definitive way the Lord identified a particular man to design and oversee the construction of the Tabernacle and the nature of that identification (Ex. 4:1-4 and following).  What struck me first of all was how Bezalel’s lineage was so specific.  The second aspect of this identification also impressed me.  Bezalel had been given a special infusion of “the Spirit of God”.  If Bezalel was a photographer, he would not just be taking pictures of the sunrise over Israel’s wilderness camp he’d be taking pictures of unique subject matter just like me.  The Lord is quite clear that Bezalel is more than your average artisan and just so Moses doesn’t miss it the Lord says to Moses, “SEE”.  While the verb is basically what you would expect, the literal action of seeing with the eyes, it can also include the idea of giving attention to something (Jer. 2:31) or to take heed (Ex. 10:10).  In other words the Lord was saying, “Don’t miss this!”  He was encouraging Moses to see Bezalel in the same way as the Lord saw him.
            The Bible is quite clear that the Lord sees all His children this way.  He has given each a unique personality, character, set of skills and one or more spiritual gifts.  We no longer have to be specially equipped to fulfill His calling in our lives as Bezalel was.  From the moment we trust Christ as our Savior that Spirit has taken up residence in us so that now He is an active part of all that we do.  And DOING is what He wants from us.  We may not be called to evangelize unknown territories or run ministries but each of us is called to use what we have, where we are, whenever we can.  Several passages encourage us to do everything, even the most mundane actions, for the Lord (Mt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17, 23-24).   He may call and empower me to do something great like He did with Esther (Est. 4:13-14) or He may use me in simpler ways (Ecc. 4:9-10), but by His Spirit I am fully equipped to do anything He asks me to do.
            If I truly believe that God not only sees but knows my potential, then I must believe He sees the same in others.  But do I?  Scripture admonishes us to encourage one another (1 Thes. 5:11; Heb. 3:13) but am I doing that?  I can grab my camera and see beauty in rusty chains and dilapidated buildings.  But am I mindful that people can be the same?  Their rusty spots and peeling paint are things of beauty that the Lord is about to use to bring glory to Himself.  Like Moses, I must listen when the Lord says, “SEE, I have called (Bezalel) and put My Spirit in them” because His camera sees the greatest pictures of all.  And I should know- I’m one of them.  So, why not others too?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
 

Photography, Faith, and the Art of Seeing 7

This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            Our God is a God who takes pleasure in revealing things to His Creation.  In fact, His creation is the starting point of revelation (Rom. 1:20).  He continued revealing Himself to people and to the nation of Israel in both personal and miraculous ways (Gen. 5:21-24; Ex. 13:17-22; 33:18-23; Jos. 5:13-6:2; Is. 6:1-4 and many more!).  It is not really difficult to see God this way.  If you are a person of faith God is truly apparent in creation when you stand before something as majestic and powerful as Niagara Falls.  It is also not difficult to see God at work in history when you read the story of the Exodus and acknowledge that God is still at work in the preservation of the nation of Israel today.  It is also “easy” to see God directing the prophets or having a special relationship with a person such as Enoch.  But what about “seeing God at work” in our personal stories?  Do we readily see Him when He reveals Himself in our lives?  Most of us would be able to do so when things are going well.  It is one thing to recognize that God is at work under pleasant circumstances and happy coincidences.  It is another to see Him molding and shaping us in adversity and then to acknowledge it was all “part of the plan”.  But oftentimes those times of stress and disappointment are the times that God is most revealing.
  
          Some of my photographs have come to illustrate this quite vividly in an artistic way.  I might decide a picture is not good, but think, “What if I played with this in the computer a bit?”  And what is revealed after some twisting, cropping, color adjusting and effect applying is a hidden beauty that was always there and couldn’t be discovered without the processing it went through.  I have come to see the times when I am discouraged and disappointed in the same way.  If not for all the twisting, cropping, color adjusting and effect applying that God puts me through, I might not see Him at work in my life at all.
 
           I don’t think there was a person in the Bible who understood this lesson better than Joseph (Gen.  37:1-36; 39:1-45:8 and following).   The Bible does not tell us about all the thoughts that must have gone through Joseph’s head when he was betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused by his master’s wife or waiting for the cup-bearer to bring up his case before Pharaoh.  But I am certain that many of those thoughts questioned God as to why He was letting these things happen to Joseph!  However the years of disappointment and discouragement brought Joseph to this conclusion: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.  Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God…” (Gen. 45:7-8) he tells his astonished family when they are reunited.  The disappointments and discouraging moments of his life have taught Joseph one unavoidable truth: God puts all these experiences in our lives and He works them accordingly to fulfill His will (Rom. 8:28).  Joseph saw God at work in his life so that he could be there at that very moment to preserve both his family and his people.
       
     Paul’s passion for spreading the Gospel hardly goes unnoticed as you read through the Book of Acts so when his efforts to travel eastward were thwarted I’m sure it was disappointing for the evangelist.  Instead of traveling beyond Bythinia into Asia Paul ends up in Troas where he sees a man from Macedonia pleading for help (Acts 16:6-10).  This causes Paul and his entourage to pack up and arrive in Philippi where his ministry flourishes.  To this day the Philippian Church is held up as one the best examples of the early Christian community and the powerful way the Gospel can change both people and the world they live in (Acts 16:11-40).  But none of this would have happened if Paul had remained discouraged and ignored what God had revealed to him in his dream.
  
          When it appears another disappointment has placed itself on my path- whether it is a bad photo or a blocked course of action- I’ve come to realize that it is a time to ask, “What if?”  What if God is trying to teach me something about Himself in this situation?  What if He has a better plan somewhere else?  What if this disappointment is actually a blessing in disguise?  What if I can serve Him more fully through this disappointment than if I had achieved success from the start?  What will your “What if?” questions be?  More importantly, when God reveals the answer, will you see it?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

Photography, Faith, and the Art of Seeing 6
 
This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            The church I grew up in has always been my idea of a sacred place.  As a little girl I loved sitting in the sanctuary and looking at the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows which cast a rainbow of colors on the floors and walls.  The wooden pews must have been polished frequently because they always had a beautiful sheen to them.  And then there was the pipe organ!  If played full-force the thundering bass notes could shake the rafters.  We were blessed with several talented organists who graced us with the music of Bach and Handel on a regular basis.  My son’s church is nothing like this.  It is more like a theater with its light show and powerhouse sound system.  The worship band is just as talented as the organists I grew up with, but I confess that when the lights go down, and the smoke machine puts a mist about the singers, I feel more as if I’m at a concert than in a worship service.  But a glance around the room tells me I’m the minority.  I might not think of it as sacred space, but some do.

            Photography has brought me to some unexpectedly sacred places as well.  One Easter Sunday morning I woke much earlier than I usually do.  The sun was just beginning to peek through the trees in my woodsy backyard and I noticed there was a mist on the ground.  It was calling for me to grab my camera and take some pictures. I stopped and took a moment to appreciate the beauty.  Suddenly a thought came to mind.  Was this the kind of morning that greeted Mary Magdalene and the other women as they walked to the tomb?  I don’t know how it did, but my backyard became a sacred space.

            Having encountered God in different places that have made me aware of His presence in my life I do not find it unusual that the likes of Jacob (Gen. 28:20), Moses (Ex. 3:1-6), a centurion at the foot of the cross (Mt. 27:45-54) and a woman named Mary Magdalene (Jn. 20:11-18) encountered God in significant locations.  What does surprise me is that the same Lord Jacob saw at the top of His staircase no longer feels obligated to “reside” in a building He now resides in me.   I don’t know how I became sacred space, but the Bible says that I did the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

            Of course when I think of all those places where I have felt His presence or the stories in the Bible where men and women have seen the Lord face to face, I usually think of something beyond the confines of the human body.  Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 4:7 become more and more powerful to me as my “earthen vessel” gets closer and closer to going back to the earth.  However the Lord is never limited by my limitations and through the words of Paul He has made it known that this jar of clay still has the potential to exhibit His power which is all the more reason to make sure I take the best care of it as I can.  I don’t know why He decided to do this, but the Lord has made me a sacred space.
 
           The evening had been particularly draining.  I left the dorm room of two friends who were at odds with each other and went to pray in the sanctuary of the church.  I don’t know how much time passed before, spent and saddened I lifted up my head.  My eyes were immediately drawn to the front of the sanctuary where light which passed through a side window was falling on the cross on the altar as if I was in a theater and someone from the tech crew was aiming a spotlight on it.  No matter what happened from this point on, the Lord reassured me that I had acted as His child and suddenly the whole room seemed to change.  I knew He was there- in the sanctuary and in me.  What had started as a place of refuge had become a sacred space.  I don’t know how Jesus did it, but He did.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

Photography, Faith and the Art of Seeing 5

This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            One of the great aspects of photography is that it teaches you to notice things that most people consistently pass by.  Some of my fellow photographers have commented on my pictures citing that I have a knack for noticing something that most would naturally not be drawn to seeing.  A rusty latch, the pattern of a metal bench against a stone wall, a stick emerging from the snow, or a leaf stuck on top of the recycling bin- they all have the potential of becoming a piece of art when I point my camera at them.  “I just love the way you see things,” my friend Bob remarked after he watched me take a photo of a rusty chain on a fire hydrant.  I don’t know exactly how I “see” these oddities, but I do know that photography has honed this skill of mine.
            Seeing is a critical factor in the story of the sacrifice of Isaac.  You know the story.  After years of waiting and a few missteps along the way, Abraham and Sarah were finally blessed with a son.  You can imagine their shock, disappointment and fear when God says to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, and offer him to me as a sacrifice.” (Gen. 22:2).  What kind of God goes to all the trouble of making the impossible (a child born to a couple long after childbearing years) possible and then commands that you “return” him”?  However, Scripture tells us that this incredulous request was a “test” to see the degree of Abraham’s faithfulness (Gen. 22:1).  It is one thing to pack up your household and move to unknown territory which is what Abraham did when he left Ur of the Chaldeans.  Truth be told, if that move hadn’t worked out, Abraham could have always moved back.  But from the human viewpoint, there probably was not another miraculous conception in the future for Sarah. 
            Abraham passes the test.  He never argues with God or bargains for a different way to pull the sacrifice off.  “Really Lord?   Sacrifice Issac?  Wouldn’t one of the flock be just as acceptable?  I mean, what will the neighbors think of us killing off the heir we told them that You’d promised to us?  They certainly won’t believe in You after this!”  No, instead we see Abraham resolutely and faithfully following God’s request as if he understands exactly what God is up to.  And at the moment he raises the blade to plunge into Isaac we collectively hold our breath and look the other way.  It is at this precise moment the Lord steps in and stops the action.  The Lord tells Abraham that He has seen Abraham’s faith in his willingness to sacrifice his “only son” (Gen. 22:12).  And we are informed that because of this Abraham called the place Yahweh (Yah-way) Yireh (year-ray) which translators have written as “The Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14).  But the word yireh is based on the verb ra-ah which means “to see”.  This place is not called “The Lord will Provide” (although He did and that translation has persisted).  It actually means “The Lord will See”.  Therefore the focus in not on what God will do or even what He did.  It is about what God saw.
            God told Abraham, “Take your son and offer him to me”.   What is He asking of me?  God saw the reverence in Abraham’s faith in that he would give to God the thing that he treasured most.  I believe He asks the same of me.   “Take the vacation money you were saving and give it to this ministry.”  “Take that four day weekend and give the time to help out a widow who can’t clean her yard.”  “Take one Sunday and give it to the nursery so a young mom can hear the sermon undistracted.”  “Take…and give because I have asked you to and I want to SEE just how much you believe that I AM the Lord of your life.”  If we truly believe that God is Who He says He is, how does the way we live show that?  When God looks at you and me, what does He SEE?  Does He see our faith in action as He did with Abraham?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

Ready for the Road Ahead ~ Photography, Faith and the Art of Seeing 4
 
This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            My youth group had traveled most of the day; 12 hours to be exact.  When we reached our destination in the heart of West Virginia and I stepped out of the car my wobbly legs caused me to put my arm on the car for balance and as I did I glanced upward.  I was met with a night sky I had never seen before except at the planetarium.  Not only was the Milky Way in all its glory stretched from one side of the horizon to the other, it seemed as if God had flung a million stars across the expanse as well.  The sight was breath-taking.  One of my favorite Bible verses immediately came to mind, “When I look at the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast made; what is man that Thou art mindful of him and the son of man that Thou dost care for him?” (Ps. 8:3-4). 
            When Abraham first encountered the God who created that endless expanse in the heavens the conversation was a little unusual considering the polytheistic background Abraham came from.  But we have a sense that Abraham did not ascribe to the religious opinions of his culture in that he recognizes Who he is talking to.  God tells Abraham that he will have descendants, which at 75 must have seemed incredulous (Gen. 12:1-3).  As Abraham’s story continues and the years pass by with no heir in sight it becomes a huge question in Abraham’s mind, “Just how are you going to accomplish this Lord?”  God’s answer is to escort Abraham outside of his tent.  “Look at the heavens and count the stars- if you can!” God challenges him (Gen. 15:1-21).  I love to imagine that scene, often thinking that what Abraham saw was akin to the amazing sky I saw that night long ago in West Virginia.  But that is the essence of faith- seeing something beyond what you see.
            Once a small group of my photographic friends and I met up at a community park on a chilly day in early Spring.  It was an odd time of year to be thinking about taking pictures outdoors.  The Northeast is notoriously dreary at that time of year.  It was my task to show them that there are pictures ANYWHERE if you have the eyes to see them.  We had to look beyond the obvious and see the photographic possibilities before us.  Abraham had to look into the night sky and see that with God the possibilities were as limitless as the number of stars in the sky.  If God could create a million stars, why wouldn’t he be able to create an heir for a barren couple?
            I often look at my life and see limitations.  Ideas and dreams float around in my head but when I think of accomplishing them I see myself as limited as Abraham and Sarah.  The mistake I make is that I transfer my limitations on to God.  But every now and then He escorts me “outside my tent”, makes me look up into the sky and says, “I am the God of a million stars.  Don’t you think I can orchestrate countless possibilities for your life too?” 
            So if I’m tempted to think of my circumstances or human frailty as a limitation or restriction God cannot overcome, it is wise to take another look at the God who created all those stars.  He is the God who defeated an army with pots and torches (Jud. 7:15-23), enabled a nation to cross a raging river on dry land (Jos. 3:1-17), protected 3 young men from a fiery furnace (Dan. 3:1-30) and gave a barren couple a son (Gen. 21:1-8) and so much more.   So why do I think He will not help me to fulfill that which He designed for me to do (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6)?  The God of a million stars will always be the God of endless possibilities.  All I have to do is look up into the sky and believe.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            I knew the glass ball was not hovering over the floor.  I knew I had placed it on the honey-colored floor in front of the off-white wall with my own hands and then taken its picture.  But staring at the picture now showing on my computer screen seemed to be proving otherwise.  The glass ball most assuredly appeared to be floating just above the wooden surface as if some amazing magician was levitating it just outside the picture frame.  It was a fascinating optical illusion.  Optical illusions are brain teasers.  But illusions are a form of trickery.  And it’s best to recognize them as such.  Whatever shape or form they take, optical illusions are just that- illusions.  They are not what they appear to be.
            The grandest of all optical illusions occurred in the Garden of Eden.  We do not know how long Adam and Eve lived in that wonderful place before the Serpent enticed them to sin.  But we do know that there were living conditions set by God that, if followed, would produce a long and happy life- perhaps even an endless one (Gen. 2:15-17).  The Serpent intended to destroy that and he knew his mark well.  Like a crafty car salesman, he’d polished the lemon and was waiting for the first customer who knew nothing about cars so that with a graceful swoop of the hand across the cherry red hood he could reel in the unsuspecting buyer.  One look and Eve was hooked.   Who cares about God’s rules?  It looks GOOD!
            Photography is an art built on illusion.  From the moment one looks through the viewfinder to the press of the shutter, decisions to include or exclude information from a picture are made.  A flower can appear to be blooming in a beautiful garden as the close-up of its petals fill the page.  But in reality it could very well be blooming on a heap of garbage.  What fills the frame is ultimately an illusion.  The Bible tells us there is a grand and dangerous optical illusion in our life and we run into it on a daily basis.  It is the temptation of sin.  Proverbs is so mindful of this illusion it repeats the warning two separate times (Pr. 14:12; 16:25).  Sin looks harmless at first glance, even good at times, but in the end, its reality is death. 
            Neither you nor I have a corner market on the eye’s ability to lead us into sinful choices.  Scripture is replete with examples. Perhaps the greatest example of how sin can begin with a casual glance comes from the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-12:23).  The Bible makes note that David is not where he should be (2 Sam. 11:1-2) which puts him in a place where he sees something he normally wouldn’t have seen.  One glance led to a longer one which lead to an inquiry and finally to full blown sin (2 Sam. 11:1-27).  The result is the same as that of the first sin back in the garden.  Adam and Eve experienced death just as God said they would once they ate from the tree and the child conceived through David’s illicit affair died too (2 Sam. 12:23).  The fruit may have looked like a floating glass ball.  Bathsheba may have looked like a floating glass ball.  But it was only an illusion.
                        Temptation in itself is not sin, but yielding to it is (1 Cor. 10:13), especially when help is not far off (Is. 55:6; Lk. 11:4).  The greatest scene of temptation in the New Testament (and perhaps all of Scripture) is the encounter between Satan and Jesus (Mt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-13).  No matter what Satan offers, fame, power, or pleasure, Jesus steadfastly refuses them.  The illusions do not work on Him.  Instead His lens is fixed solely on God’s will and His Word and that Word reveals the Truth behind the illusions.  What Satan has to offer is the optical illusion of a floating ball.  The eyes may make it seem real but it is not.  God’s Word is the most powerful lens by which to view the optical illusion of sin.  We can’t escape those illusions.  They will always be a part of life.  But we can learn to distinguish them and avoid the consequence of our Biblical predecessors (Js. 1:14-15).  The question is, are you and I willing to take a closer look at the illusion and see it for what it truly is- an illusion.
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

This year Ready for the Road Ahead is taking on a new direction.  It is one that follows the grand theme of sight in all aspects which runs throughout Scripture.  My weekly writings will be excerpts from a book of the same name which should be published (Lord willing) later this year.
 
            My journey as a photographer began when I was 8 years old.  It was 1964 and the World’s Fair had opened in New York City.  My parents had given me a Kodak Instamatic Camera and I excitedly took pictures of our visits to the exhibits and displays.  When I hold those early pictures in my hands and take note of what captured my attention I have to smile.  I’m not sure I’d take the same shots today, but I certainly wouldn’t be cutting peoples’ foreheads off and I’d be holding the camera more steadily.  In spite of their short comings those early pictures prove that at 8 years old, with camera in hand, I was seeing the world in a new and different way. 
            Years later when photography actually became a craft I wanted to pursue and improve I was presented with another “little” camera.  At 8 I was excited to receive the Instamatic.  When the Canon Powershot A560 arrived, I confess I was not excited at all.  Since it was a gift I determined to hide my disappointment.  I had the idea of starting out my serious pursuit of photography with a much grander camera.  I had a particular goal in mind.  I wanted to capture the moon.  It had long fascinated me.  No matter what phase it appeared in, that beautiful silvery white celestial body called out to me from the sky and I wanted to grab a close-up of its craters and seas more than anything.  But the “little point and shoot” did not have the ability to do that.
            When the Lord started to stir up the “formless and void” of Genesis 1:1 prior to creation, I wonder if He was disappointed in what He had to work with in the same sense that I was disappointed with my “little camera”.  Of course not!  But for our benefit God has poetically recorded the process in the first chapter of Genesis and after each step the statement is made, “God saw that it was good.”  The act of seeing and sight is a thread that is tightly woven throughout Scripture.  Across its pages both God and humans are noted as “seeing”.  But the difference in the way they see is often quite broad. What God sees is not the same as what people see.  What man sees is limited.  What God sees is limitless.
            Truthfully it wasn’t a bad camera.  It did what it was designed to do quite nicely.  And it excelled at macro shots.  It just couldn’t take moon shots.  It took time but I eventually came to realize that by the mere fact that it was the camera I had to work with the Powershot truly developed my ability to SEE.  Instead of rushing head long into a photo, I had to stop, take time to look and think about what my camera was capable of doing and then take the shot.  Inevitably every time I did that, the picture was good.
            At first I thought the Canon Powershot A560 was limited.  In a sense and by virtue of manufacturing specifications it was.  It was designed to be a handy pocket camera suited for the average person’s photographic needs- birthday parties and vacation shots- and I was looking for a way to take pictures of the moon.  But in comparison the camera illustrates spiritual sight well.  What I see is limited.  What God sees is limitless.  What I sees falls short of my expectations.  What God sees is good.  I see a camera that can’t take moon shots.  God sees macros.
            Just as it takes time to understand the potential of a camera the process of developing spiritual sight takes time too.  I don’t always enjoy the process of learning this but faith has taught me to see beyond the physical circumstances and believe that when God says it is good, it is good.
            The little girl who excitedly snapped pictures with her Kodak Instamatic camera grew to be the woman who was less than excited when she received the Canon Powershot A560 but both cameras were instrumental in developing her sight.  At times I became focused on what I perceived to be limitations and I am not alone.  Human nature perpetually relies more on SEEING in the limited physical realm rather than the spiritual one.  Spiritual sight, like all of life is a journey.  The journey of seeing which a photographer takes begins with a simple camera.  The journey to spiritual sight requires us to discard our limited eyesight and to look through God’s limitless viewfinder instead.  We sigh and wish we had a better camera; God is satisfied with the camera we have and uses it to help us to truly SEE things as He does.  We want to see moon shots.  But God has uploaded a macro and He says that it’s good.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre