book recommendations, grief, Kenwinks, Photograph by Tamara Beachum, spiritual
Have you ever had a moment when you experienced an event that felt too designed to be merely a coincidence? Or a time when you just knew that you had received a clear message to your heart’s longing through someone else’s words? Or maybe you have seen a sign that you desperately hoped for and felt a resulting peace that could not be explained? I have had so many Godwinks* that I would not be able to recount them all if I tried. Grief broke me open to seeing them in a way nothing else has. As my husband was living his last hours in a hospital ICU I had a private conversation with him telling him that I HAD to have a sign that his soul – that our souls – went on. I have always been a person of faith but his impending death rocked me to my very core. I had begged God to save him but it was clear that was not going to be the outcome; if my faith was to remain intact I needed confirmation that I could not miss. He was the skeptic so I felt that if he ensured I received a message I recognized then I could rest in that. The first came within four hours of his death. They continue to come regularly in the form of hearts, hawks and angels who walk right up and say just the thing I need to hear. Yes, I have gotten the message. No, I’m not ready for them to stop. If you have been following the Wordless Wednesday posts you know...
Photograph by Ken Gehle, prayer, Psalm 23, spiritual, Wordless Wednesday
Please indulge me that Wordless Wednesday is not exactly wordless today but I want to offer some introduction to the next few weeks of images. The Pastor of my church approached me to work with another photographer on art for the summer sermon series on Psalm 23. Interesting since that is my favorite Psalm…one I memorized as a child and could hear playing in my head while trudging the sand dunes of Death Valley, CA on a personal photo shoot with Ken. Another synchronicity: the photographer he wanted me to work with had worked with my husband when she was first starting out. The three of us discussed the deeper meaning of each verse of the Psalm and in my mind’s eye I could instantly call up photos in Ken’s portfolio that would work. Some are on his website, many are not. The images you see over the next few weeks will have portions of the 23rd Psalm written on them. Some you will “get” right away but I hope you will ponder how the image matches the verse if you don’t get it right away. The one above is a good example. You might be thinking, “Tamara, those are fishermen, not shepherds.” But look a little closer. What does this image say to you? Our Pastor did a masterful job of bringing the metaphor to life. I can share that but I’d much rather hear your thoughts first. For you, how does this image line up to the...
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