Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, I have been isolating with my mother. In the last few years my mother has lost her sense of smell. I have for years been telling her she needs to eat with her eyes. We can also pray with our eyes.

During this time of isolation my mother and I have taken daily walks around our neighborhood; when there is nowhere else to go, these walks have been a form of respite for us, an opportunity to smell the roses and to see the miracles of our awesome God. This experience was heightened by the use of my camera to capture images that caught my attention. I began to pray with my eyes through the lens of my camera.

I would invite you to take your camera out for a walk and look at your surroundings. Focus on the details in what you see around you. For example, look at how many colours of green you see. Our God is a God of colour. I have recently seen video clips on Facebook of newly invented glasses that help those who are colour blind see colour for the first time, and they are amazed at what colour looks like. Most have tears streaming down their faces by the end of the video clip. Do we take colour for granted? What does God wish to reveal to us through the colours around us?

When photographing a bird, I was reminded that our God is a God who provides for the needs of all, even the needs of the sparrows. A song that comes to mind has the line, “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He cares for me.” God cares for us, even in this time of COVID-19. He cares for everyone. My mom and I lost a couple of family member during this pandemic, and while we were not able to be with them in their last moments, it was comforting to know that God was with them during even their final breath.Looking at the beauty of God’s creations, the details in the flowers, animals, even how water as it falls, brings me closer to the heart of God, and reveals something of His character.

In another one of my photos I found an old knuckle of a tree root. Within it was a small new life that had started to grow. It was a reminder to me that in Christ we are all a new creation. While our lives may sometimes resemble an old knuckle of a tree root, if we are rooted in Jesus our lives are being made new.

I wonder, what have you seen while out for your walks lately? With the prevalence of smartphones, nearly everyone has access to a camera these days. Perhaps slowing down long enough to take a picture of something that God draws your eye to will enable you to experience God in a fresh way, as it has done for me. Then, share your pictures to help others see to see the beauty out in our world even in these difficult days.

God bless you as you take time to see the details of this amazing world.

For more on how you or your Women’s Ministries group can pray with your camera, visit https://salvationist.ca/women-s-ministries/toolkit/praying-with-my-camera/