One winter morning over a decade ago, I discovered something exciting. I was doing it! I was developing an eye for taking better photos!

How could I tell? Certain hallmark signs were there. I’d been spotting good light or noticing great vantage points. I’d been focusing on color but noticing backgrounds and striving for centered shots. I was giving attention to detail. (Notice the morning light and winter trees behind the icicles in the shot I took above that day? I didn’t even realize how cool that would look until after I took the picture. I was concentrating mainly on the icicles and got a shot with a bokeh effect before I even knew what that was!)

It’s important to note that developing an eye doesn’t happen by accident—in photography or other endeavors. By that winter, I’d invested time in taking lots of shots. I had endured the dross before the gold. And of course in the process, I had ended up with a lot more dross than gold.

At the same time, though, I’d benefited in several ways from taking time out for wonder while taking a host of photos. Not only was I becoming more adept at capturing better pictures, but I’d been energized by my new pursuit and had also grown more appreciative of the beautiful world God’s given us.

The concept of developing an eye certainly carries over into other areas of our lives as well. Consider the spiritual realm. Do we notice spiritual applications to things that we see or experience in our everyday lives? (Writing blog posts has helped me develop an awareness for this.) Do we spot God at work in people or situations or can we see him in the background? Do we notice when people are hurting or in need but also pick up on their joys?

If we don’t feel like we’re actively developing a spiritual eye, we can take steps to remedy that. Remember, developing an eye doesn’t happen by accident.

We need to invest time—time in learning to think in spiritual ways. We do this as we read, study, and meditate on God’s Word and as we talk with him. Talking with others about spiritual truths will also spur us on in our growth. And when we notice hurts or joys of others and interrupt our lives to share in what they’re going through, we’ll continue to develop that eye for spiritual things.

So what do you say? Let’s be people who continue to develop and grow in our lives, whether it be in our walk with the Lord or the pursuit of our interests and skills. Let’s continue to develop an eye!

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,” 1 Peter 2:2 NIV

*What interest or skill are you developing an eye for?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free! Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo