And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. {Col. 3:17}
On this day of giving thanks, I woke up a bit early to steal a few moments to reflect on what I’m thankful for. I began thanking God for a list of blessings in my life. A home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Food that is readily available the moment I am hungry. Our exceptional family, both extended and immediate. Of course that includes my husband, but he definitely deserves his own mention, as does our dog who is so much more than just a companion. :) The ability to do for a living what I have dreamt of since before I even knew what a photographer was… And so many more little things that we can take for granted on a daily basis.
As I worked through my list, I began to realize that, while I am so SO grateful for all of those individual blessings, my heart today is singing praises for God’s Sovereignty.
Anyone who owns their own small business knows the stress that comes with making sure that you stay in business. Growing up on a farm, I remember hating the aspect of not having the “security” that working for someone else provides. I want to be sure to clarify, I LOVE the farm and I love that I was fortunate enough to grow up there. [And that is an entirely different post for another day.] But in a world where there is so much emphasis placed on having security, knowing that things completely out of our control could have such an impact was terrifying.
Early on in adulthood, Kelly and I both worked for a corporation and it felt good having that “security”. And just then, the economy collapse hit us like a brick wall and taught us many valuable lessons. Things completely out of our control made a huge impact. But the lesson was that we cannot rely on ourselves, or this world. God is in control, and it is through His provision that we have anything.
And now that we run our own business, we are reminded of those lessons every day and there is actually PEACE in knowing that we are not the ones in control. Sure, sometimes I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, and feel like we need to be doing more and more to secure the future of our business. And then I wake-up and remember that I am not in control. For as long as God will have me be a photographer, I will pour myself into my art and the knowledge that He is sovereign brings peace of mind and allows me to do the very best I can and leave the rest up to Him.
For that, I am so thankful. Today and every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
-m
PS… I would like to second each of my wonderful wife’s comments, only to add that we are also incredibly grateful for all of our clients as well… each of you that are reading this very post. Without your support [yes, it means everything to us], we would be unable to continue to do what we love. Support in our artwork that you provide with every Facebook post, every gasp when you review your gallery with us, every tear of appreciation when you see a slide show we’ve produced, and every hug that you give us at the end of a great session. Thank you all, we are blessed to have you in our lives.
-k
