Gratitude Day 21: God's Timing

"Meadows and Mountains"
Tall grasses fill the meadows of Cades Cove in early summer.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
© 2014 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reserved
For the last couple of days I've been trying to lower my stress level and relax a just bit. Normally I go to the Smokies when I need to de-stress but that just wasn't possible this week. Instead, I opted to go back through some of the photos I've taken in the Smokies over the last year or two, re-edit a few using some new skills I've developed, and reflect on my life then and now. This image is great inspiration for reflection. First off, I took this at the end of June this year, when my life was good and I was just having a pleasant day doing photography in Cades Cove as a park volunteer. It was my favorite kind of weather -- low humidity, blue sky, big white puffy clouds. Pretty. Peaceful. I had no idea that my personal peace would be thrown into utter turmoil just a few short weeks later. No idea at all.

I love the golden grasses in this image. They shimmered in the brilliant mid-day light and begged to be photographed. The park staff are letting the grasses grow a bit more than they use to now that the non-native grasses once planted by farmers to be cattle feed are disappearing and the native grasses are returning. This means the meadows are a haven for white-tail deer -- the does give birth in these grassy fields in June and July. Many types of birds also find respite in the tall grass. Some park visitors complain that the tall grass obstruct's their once clear view of wildlife, especially bears. This is good for the bears, but bear-seeking tourists are more concerned with what they want than what is best for the bears.

As humans, that is our nature, I suppose. We determine what we want to have happen in our lives and when, then we try to make it happen ourselves &/or demand that God make those things happen as we want them. It takes a lot of faith and personal strength not only to trust God, but to trust in his timing. We have to trust him whether our meadow grasses are short or tall, when life is sunny and pleasant or overcast and gloomy.He knows us, He knows the perfect timing for the seasons of our life. He knows. We do not. I'm grateful to know that my life is in His hands and I'm willing to follow Him, wherever that might take me. I'm grateful I have learned I can trust His timing in all things.

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