Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
The ideal is what we long for – blue skies, good friends, close family members, good health, and you can fill in the rest of the list. But that’s not always what we get. Just ask the Bible hero Job if you have any doubt about that. It’s true, he did have those days of blue skies but that’s not what makes up the majority of the book given his name. Nevertheless, that’s what I pray and thank Him for on days like that when I can bask in His generosity.
But even I recognize that’s not what always brings out the best, in me, or that which surrounds me. In our mind’s eye we picture the perfect landscape involving the greenest of green trees, mountain caps painted in almost blinding white perched atop purple mountains majesty; and to finish the picture – a blue sky. If we’re in a generous mood, we might throw in a few fleecy white clouds.
But look at today’s picture, a portrait of a male Mountain Bluebird. It’s set in good light, showing off the bird’s colors. There’s action included to liven up the scene, and it’s shot in an appropriate setting offering a glimpse of sage where these birds are often found. And there is blue sky – but that blueness detracts rather than highlights the subject. The bird doesn’t stand out, but instead almost blends in as just another part of the sky. Blue is my favorite color, and I don’t know what I’d put in its place to improve the picture, but it needs something. I still pray for sunny days with blue skies, but I also recognize God may have a better picture in mind for me which only He can envision. Until that time, we would be wise to give thanks for today and its blessings and for the security of knowing what will look best in our album.