Two Fun Camps? Too Fun Camps? To Fun Camps?
It has been a crazy busy summer.
- I worked as head-of-media for Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga in Brevard, NC
- I traveled for weddings in Beaufort, SC; Tucson, AZ; and Lafayette, LA, and got to work with Katie Tamesis and Allisa Tuttle, two photographers I greatly admire.
- We moved states!
All at the same time... There were incredible highs, mountaintops, great adventures, new friends, holy moments, beautiful photos, and so on. And there were lows - long days and late nights working, missing Aaron, juggling my business and my camp work, and so on. But those lows were an incredible gift, giving me the opportunity to practice what I wanted to learn this year - suffering with grace.
The Daily Grind
Every day with camp holds something new and exciting.
It's difficult to say I had a hard time this summer, seeing as I was surrounded by incredible people (many future saints), gorgeous landscapes, and so much play. But the nature of media work necessitates some separation from the subject. Instead of playing the game, you observe. Instead of being in the moment, you capture it. And quiet times are often filled with thoughts of "Couldn't I be doing more? Shouldn't I be working now?" I'm so grateful for having this summer to dive into my craft and get some intense practice, but the position challenged me in some new, and probably needed, ways.
I'm naturally a workaholic, and so I've never been great at finding balance between work, prayer, play, and rest. Many of my days off were filled with wedding work, moving chores, and all-too-short visits with my husband. Before I knew it, the summer was almost over, and my day-off adventures with friends had been at a minimum.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it."
What did I learn from the summer?
Truthfully, I'm not sure. I'm still unpacking it, and maybe I didn't learn anything new. Maybe I simply continued practicing being a child of God. Maybe Aaron and I grew closer through the separation, or I needed the reminder of the sweetness of good friends. Maybe it further stressed to me how I need to better balance work, play, prayer, and rest. Whatever it may be, I feel changed for the better, as one always does after encountering the lovely people at Camp.
sunrise mass on black balsalm, NC
I hear and I know that you are the Lord.
Although the summer wasn't easy, I'm grateful for the opportunities to practice what I said I would do this year - leaning on the Lord when things get hard. When you're in the thick of it, it's so easy to get grumpy, complain, and feel wronged by difficult times. It can be hard to remember that He's there, ready to lend you His strength and peace if you only ask. But I was given many chances to ask for His energy when I was exhausted, His patience when I was out, His love to share when I wanted to be alone. My own abilities will never be sufficient - I need to rely on Him to help me through. And my execution of this was by no means perfect, but we must view suffering as a gift. It is the fire in which strong souls are forged.
I was reminded me why I love doing what I do.
It is looking for beauty in the ordinary. It is creating a moment for someone so they can feel the joy. It is giving others the space to let their light shine, and making sure they can always remember how bright it is. It is noticing the little things. It is letting someone else know that they are important enough, beautiful enough, loved enough to have their picture taken.
I do believe God brought me here into photography, although I'm still asking him why. This work is a gift, and I'm constantly asking myself how I can use it to serve him. Maybe I'm blind and that answer is obvious, 0r maybe not knowing protects me from getting too comfortable and self-serving. I don't know. But I'll be here as long as He'll keep me here, and I'll strive to serve His Kingdom all the while.
