A dear friend and mentor once asked: “What if you had the power to heal the world but refused to do it?”
That rhetorical question cut deep into my heart at a young age. What gifts have I been blessed with, and how can I use them to help or heal others?
If I was a dentist, I would fix my family’s teeth for free, and hopefully volunteer time to help fix the teeth of those who could not afford it. I know of doctors who spend precious vacation time and risk their lives traveling to dangerous places to help those in need. If I was a doctor, I pray I would do the same. Since I am neither a dentist, doctor, carpenter or mechanic, I try to be a good steward of the gifts I have been given.
It has always been evident to me that our creator loves variety and has put in the hearts of individuals various ambitions and skills to match. I never wanted to be a policeman, architect or engineer, but I know many dreamed of this since childhood.
One of my God-given gifts is to make pictures and tell stories that enlighten, create bridges and, sometimes, help heal. I determined early that one way I could be of service would be to accept the role of family photographer.
For more than five decades, I have documented weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, sporting activities and funerals. Had I charged for these services, I would have thousands in the bank, which I don’t.
At 72, it’s more physically challenging than at 22 or 42. Sometimes after photographing a baseball or lacrosse game, I limp home exhausted, mumbling, “I can’t keep doing this.” Those long lenses are a lot heavier now. Thankfully, after a night’s rest, my aching body is refreshed, and my resolution to keep going is restored.
Beyond becoming the family photographer, I try to volunteer my talents to help local causes such as Special Olympics, writer’s groups or local cancer aid fundraisers. I have a friend who volunteers photographing dogs at the humane society and flowers for a garden club.
Reader Challenge
Assess your gifts, then determine to use your skills to help someone or a cause you believe in. A great example of this can be found in a story Ruralite shared a few months back about photographers who use their photographic talent and people skills to photograph terminally-ill babies and their parents. But something as simple as making portraits for those who cannot afford them is also important.
As was said long ago, “It is more blessed to give than receive.”