The wind was blowing things around as I was walking down the Chief Ladiga Trail Saturday; which can be a hindrance to my type of photography most times.  The problem is things get out of focus when they are moved about by the wind.  And sometimes I get a little “shaken up” when my pictures are out of focus.  But what can you do, are you going to make the wind refrain from blowing?  All you can do is take a lot of pictures on a windy day and hope you get a good one.

That is what happened in this photo of the straw.  Just when I had the camera focused the wind would swing it away from my view.  I would readjust and just when I started to press the shutter, guess what happened; it moved back to the original location.  On and on the dance continued until finally I took this photo.  If you look closely you can tell that the straw is not vertical but is swaying in the breeze in front of me.

The circumstances of our lives are like the wind.  We can not tell which way they are going to blow next; and when we anticipate one then, the other thing usually happens.  To be sure we are not responsible for what this day will blow to our doors; but we are responsible for how we react to what happens.  Our attitudes, dispositions and outlook on life we have complete control over; we determine the focus of our lives.  We are not at the mercy of the winds that blow in our lives; we can adjust the sails of our boats and use the winds blowing against us to propel us onward, or we can be like the kite which only rises higher when the winds blow against it.

So the question is not, are your circumstances blowing against you, but how is your attitude when they do.  Are you going to allow the things that happen to you to control you or propel you?  Don’t forget that we do have somebody looking out for us as we travel through the storms of life that once looked fearlessly into the face of the storm and said peace, be still and the winds and waves obeyed him.  We are not alone as we meet what this day brings.  When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

Something to think about:

• The roots grow deep when the winds are strong.

• The Chinese symbols for crisis are identical to those for the word opportunity. Literally translated it reads, “Crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” View crises as opportunities, and stumbling blocks as stepping-stones to the stars.

• One ship drives east and another west, with the self-same winds that blow; ’tis the set of the sails and not the gales that determines where they go.
  Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate, as we voyage along through life;
  ’tis the set of a soul that decides its goal—and not the calm or the strife.

• The storm was raging. The sea was beating against the rocks in huge, dashing waves. The lightning was flashing, the thunder was roaring, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was sound asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head tucked serenely under its wing. That is peace: to be able to sleep in the storm!

• The wind of our Master is always blowing . . . but you must hoist your sail.

• The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

Walking in the wind
Rickey Moore
To see Moore Gusty Photos visit www.rlmoore.com