Midwinter. An ordinary, leafless tree. Nature's beautiful, icy decor. A zero-degree morning. A lifetime lesson. There was every reason not to take the shot on that cold morning. We were running late, parked for a brief moment while my youngest daughter picked up a needed item for our long journey on snowy and icy roads, ahead of a day of snowmobiling. The car was running, ready to back out of the driveway and head off. The early morning sun was shining, but perfect morning light for photography is transient. The ideal moment had already passed. Besides, I had only my phone camera with me, and the proper angle for the shot was nearly a hundred yards away through deep, crusty snow. Too far.
I told myself I should come back tomorrow with the professional camera, take time to prepare, dial in the right lens settings, bring a tripod and be in just the right moment with just the right light to more perfectly capture the identical ice-covered scene. Despite all the reasons against, I found myself trudging across the snow, got down on my knees to get a decent angle, snapped some images, and with wet trousers, trudged back to the car, where everyone was waiting. The next morning I came back to do it right, but there was no shot. The tree was completely devoid of snow and ice. Strong winds had stripped the tree to bare branches. The snow had been blown off the grass. The morning was overcast. No radiant light. Nothing to shoot. I drove up, took a quick look, and drove away again without a second glance. What I already had was as good as it was going to get.
An excellent metaphor for life. When a thought to serve or bless or act in some way comes to us, our lives will be far richer and those we serve will be far more blessed when we act in the moment. If I had waited for tomorrow, for things to be just right... well, don’t you know, tomorrow never comes. It’s always today, always now. Now is the only time in which we have the power to act. In this case, I got a shot. Yes, I can imagine an even better image, but the one I’ve got is better than the one I didn’t take. So too with those priority moments missed or taken. Take the shot. Seize the moment.
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