When Your Best Isn't Good Enough

Not the typical photograph I would go for, but when conditions are what they are, you have to make do. Is it everyone's cup of tea? Perhaps not. But it actually is one of my favorite shots from my recent trip. It tells a story. And those are my favorite photographs.

Mountain vistas, alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, epic sunsets brought on by afternoon thunderstorms. These are all things that come to the mind of a photographer when they think of the American West in summer.

But that was not what we found on my recent trip to Montana.

Instead, it was a dry period. For a couple of weeks prior, the temperatures soared into the hundreds. Combine that with wildfires to the west that engulfed hundreds of thousands of acres, and conditions were less than ideal. Far less.

But I still went; I needed the time away to think on things. And I wanted to get out there with my friend and his family.

When I arrived, I didn't realize how bad the smoke would be, but I tried to remain positive. And, for the first few days, it wasn't that bad. But it would worsen as the week went on. But you make do.

Because of the weather, our plans changed dramatically. Instead of searching for mountains, we mostly went after waterfalls. We also scouted canyons, hoping that the warm light from the smoke-covered sun would glisten off the faces of the cliffs.

I'll share some of the results, Lord willing, as time goes on.

It goes to show, however, that the best-laid plans are oftentimes subverted by reality. More to the point, God has plans that are bigger than ours. Sometimes we think we know what's best, but our best isn't good enough when compared to what God has in store.

We can imagine the great outcomes and become so infatuated with them that when they don't come to pass, we lose heart. But are we aware that God is doing something greater?

Chasing waterfalls and canyons forced me to think outside of the box photographically. As a result, I think my photography improved. Even more than that, it allowed circumstances that led to good conversations and good times of prayer.

In other words, what I thought was best wasn't focused on things that extended beyond the here and now. Instead of getting what I thought was best, I had the opportunity to grow in my abilities. And the opportunity to grow a little closer to God and my friend—all while learning some things about myself. All these experiences extend far beyond a dramatic sky over a mountain range.

I'm reminded of what Paul says in Ephesians 3:20-21:

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen"

Yet, I'm reminded that so many times my prayers center around what I can think and imagine. I find I'm not open to, or even thinking about, what God might be doing.

Then again, I'm not sure that God's answers to our prayers depend on our seeing the bigger picture. God is big enough to sort it out for us, hearing our desires, but knowing what is best.

But these verses are not here primarily to tell us how we are to pray or think. They tell us that God can do more than what we pray or think.

God isn't limited by our short-sightedness. He isn't bound by our decisions, as if we have that kind of control.

He takes our little pea-brain prayers, turning them into things so far beyond what we could expect. But do we have eyes to see? I don't, far too often.

I haven't had the chance to reflect upon this trip yet. Not fully. But this I know: it wasn't what I expected or even prayed for, but it was what I needed. God took my prayers and did more with them than I could've.

So, do I wish we had those thunderstorms, mountain vistas, wildflowers, and alpine lakes? Of course.

But I have to trust that what God gave me was far beyond what I asked for or thought.

To close, I want to point out that the purpose of these verses, again, is not to describe how we should pray. Ultimately, it is a doxology, a word of praise to God for being able to do incredible things in spite of us. And that is one of many reasons we should praise Him today.