My participation in last spring’s Arts Weekend led to an invitation to share my story with you. It is a daunting prospect. This congregation is so BIG. It is full of people who attend more often, give more money, and are more spiritually mature than I am. I decided to accept the invitation because I am guessing that the congregation also includes people like me – works in progress. With that thought in mind, here is my story.
I believe that God gives some people inspiration and a desire to accomplish a specific goal. To others, he sparks an interest in something, and allows passion to grow over time, although the eventual purpose of the growing passion may be unknown to the individual.
For me, God used the second scenario. The spark occurred in my backyard. I was talking with my mother-in-law, who had come over to baby-sit. We were standing next to our play structure, and noticed a strange insect on the slide. Before this day, I had no special interest in insects. But there was something about that bug; that intrigued me. Although it didn’t resemble anything I had ever seen, I began to form an idea about its identity. Could it be? Was it possible that it was a ladybug? Searching the internet for information about the life cycle of a ladybug confirmed my guess. I was amazed! I was aware of the process that takes a caterpillar and turns it into a butterfly, but until that time I hadn’t thought about the transformation other insects experience.
I began looking around my yard, taking in more of the details, and soon discovered that our pecan tree did more than provide shade. It was a regular ladybug breeding ground. On this one tree were examples of ladybugs in every stage of their life cycle: pairs of adults in the act of mating, groups of eggs attached to the underside of leaves, larvae hatching out of those eggs, eating other insects, growing in size, and then entering the pupa phase. Eventually adult ladybugs emerged from their pupa casings. They were a pale orange at first, lacking spots, and stretching out their wet wings to dry. After a while, the shell would harden, the color deepen, and spots would begin to appear. The ladybug would then be able fly away, carrying on the life cycle of eating, mating, you know the rest.
I began to document this process. As our family computer filled with hundreds of photograph of ladybugs, my husband challenged me – what was I going to do with them? For the moment, it was enough for me to just take the pictures, but eventually I began to wonder the same thing. What was I supposed to do with them? Why did God give me this interest in the life cycle of a ladybug, and what was I supposed to do with it?
Instead of directly answering those questions, God actually broadened my initial interest, to include insects of every sort, as well as other members of the plant and animal kingdoms. I now have a collection of thousands of images. Many of them were taken in my own backyard, which is becoming more wild over time. I can often be found walking through local parks and along the many trails in our foothill communities, or poring over field guides, intent on identifying whatever new creature I’ve just photographed.
Have I learned why God gave me this sometimes overwhelming interest in nature photography? I still don’t know. I am a work in progress, but hopefully, I’m also a testimony to His grand creation. I am driven to gain an intimate knowledge of the world around me, but no longer content to have that knowledge stay locked inside. It bubbles out of me and I can’t help but share it with others. God has allowed me to share my passion, knowledge, and photographs with friends and family, my sons’ elementary school and Cub Scout pack, occasional posts in our town’s online newspaper, with other insect photographers, and thanks to the Worship & the Arts Team, here at Lake Avenue Church.
In my growth as an artist and naturalist, as well as my roles of wife, mother, and community member, I have been blessed by the support, encouragement, and teaching of many here at Lake, including former Pastor of Early Childhood, Gwen Cram, and Morning Break Bible study leaders - Eunice Richter, Franci Maharaj, Teri Deimel, Carolyn Walsh, and Peggy Risinger. Our family is part of a wonderful small group, with whom we not only share the ups and downs of life, but are also regularly challenged to emulate Jesus, by leading lives of active service. I am fortunate to have such people as spiritual role models. My story isn’t over yet, but I know it’s a good one, and I’m eager to see where God takes it next.