“The Photo That Almost Killed Me”
I absolutely love to watch storms roll in, the richness of color, power and glory- especially with the golden rays of a sunrise or sunset underneath.
Such a setting occurred last Spring when I captured this photo of our majestic ram, Atli.
I enjoyed the light and the setting so much so that I forgot my place. I failed to honor our ram’s strength or take precaution. I made the mistake of laying down in the pasture to get this shot. One thing you never do around a ram is lower yourself below their level.
Alti is a great ram. He was at the time a hundred and eighty pounds of muscle. He is absolutely amazing and much more gentle than most, largely due to the love our kids have shown him. But as with Icelandics, he is not tame or predictable. Soon after I took this photo I found out just how wild he still is, especially during lambing season. This blurry photo was taken as I dropped my camera.
Thankfully I was able to stop Atli on his fourth charge and hold his horns until I could manage to activate Siri on my phone and call for help. My oldest son came running to literally keep me from being trampled, broken or killed.
The storm that had been captured in the background of the photo hit soon afterwards. It was also intense. Winds of 50+ mph buffeted our home. The trees bent under the pressure, leaves came off and animals went for cover. It seemed like the entire outside world turned upside down.
At that time, Spring 2020, we were all “sheltering in place”. These are still not easy times, and we tighten our belts... but a virus is only part of the struggle that we face.
This world and everything in it is temporary. Only One can truly shelter us. Let us cry out “Hoshiana!” (Save us!) to Him in our time of distress.
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me.
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!”
Psalm 57:1–5 (ESV)
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