I relearned an old lesson at 6:30 this morning. Our dog woke us with her most ferocious bark. We assumed it was the new ground hog that has moved into the backyard. Much to our surprise we looked out to see our suet feeder being ripped from the tree by our morning guest–a huge brown bear. Grabbing my camera I made my way down to the back door. At first I took some really bad pictures through the window. The rising sun set up a terrible glare. But I wanted documenting shots. Next I opened the door to get some unobstructed pictures. I took about twenty pictures, some which should have been great, except for my haste. I was just pointing and shooting. In my excitement I failed to pause for that half second required for the camera to focus. I just shot away. The result was about three pictures worth saving. The rest were garbage shots. Haste does make waste.
I really should know better. Quality takes time. Quality takes thought. Quality takes effort. It is not only that way when taking pictures; it is that way with 98% of life. I see it all the time in the classroom. I can tell when a student has hastily banged out a paper as opposed to a paper that actually contained some thought. If we really want to get to know someone we have to take some time to do so. If we want a relationship with God we have to pause to hear His quiet voice and we have to spend time reading His letter to us. It is the way life works.
Written by Roger Bothwell on June 22, 2011
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