Last updated: June 13, 2025
Equipment by Marion Smith
As I sat on the porch of our rental condo in Ponte Vedra Beach recently, I saw a stunning sight. Swimming in the Atlantic, close to shore, were schools of dolphins. Each group had quite a few fish in it, and the number of schools was unbelievable. I spotted this profusion of dorsal fins slicing through the waves, and as I watched, I saw not only swimming, but jumping and tailing.
This was a most unusual sight, and I hurried to get my camera to capture this event on film! I knew trying to keep this vision in my mind’s eye would fade in time, and I wanted a permanent remembrance. I walked to the water’s edge, poised the camera with the zoom extended and snapped away. When the film was developed, I was extremely disappointed, for the photos were very poor. My zoom lens had not been strong enough, and my timing had been off enough to make the photos blurry and indistinguishable. I had been unable to capture on film the sight I had seen because I had been ill-equipped to adequately do so.
When we want to show someone a picture of Jesus, we do so through the way we live our lives. Perhaps it’s time to inspect our equipment so we’re prepared. Are we reading the Bible, spending time in prayer, listening to Him as well as talking, and opening ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit each and every day? What about our timing? Are we sensitive to God’s perfect timing in our lives —available to “snap that lens” when He directs us, not when I decide so?
Proper equipment is necessary not only in photography, but also in living the Christian life.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of the dolphins I saw, and for the reminder I received. Every Christian needs to keep their spiritual equipment in good order so that they can more faithfully serve in Your Name and by the power of Your Spirit.
Meditation: Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:6-7
Jesus Loves You!
Also read:
- Blackbirds
- Understanding God: He Does Not Hold Grudges Forever
- The Myth of Omnipresence (5): The 5 Places God Always Is
- Dust If You Must
- How I Surrendered My Life to the Lord Jesus Christ
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