share a photo which means FRESH to you!

1

July 24, 2013 by Jess

This weeks photo challenge is…

In a new post specifically for this challenge, share a photo which means FRESH to you!

It’s school holidays here in New Zealand and this Mum is feeling anything but fresh. Keeping up with the grand plans of the tribe is rather wearying and as much as I enjoy it, and love the holidays, I am not at my peak in regards to fresh ideas.  Hence, it was a little hard to be inspired for this weeks challenge.

The other day we went on a little explore by a lagoon to find swans and beautiful birds.  The kids thought it was great, so great that Mr Four was zooming up and down, soaring like a bird!  It was good for getting rid of excess energy, not so flash for capturing the bird life with the camera.

So we have ducks.  Nice ordinary ducks, that are not moved by exuberant kids.

I must admit, the ducks were more interesting than I thought.  My new Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS lens bringing me some detail that they eye often misses.

What struck me was they way the ducks were hopping out of the water to stand, preen and freshen up.  I normally associate hopping into water with being refreshed; a bath, shower, or maybe a refreshing swim in the midst of summer.  But here these ducks were shaking, preening and fluffing their feathers.

What refreshes a duck may not refresh me!

What do you find refreshing?  A drink on a hot day, a swim in the ocean, a shower after exercise…  What is fresh?  A delicious plum, a frosty morning…

What refreshes me physically might differ from a duck, or from you, but whatever it is, it is only temporary.  Fresh is temporary, a cool drink on a hot day, the sharpness of a frosty morning do not last. We will soon need to refresh.

Spiritual refreshment is eternal.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Acts 3:19

Forgiveness brings times of refreshing.  It is the refreshing of being washed clean, given a fresh start, being right with God, welcomed into his family, of being able to come boldly before the throne of grace…

I find nothing more refreshing on this earth than time spent contemplating just what Christ has done for me and thanking Him for it.  Simple, yet refreshing.

How will I survive the wearying holidays?  I will turn to God, remember what He has done and thank Him for it as I enjoy many other temporary moments of refreshment amongst the blessings He has given us.  Ducks included.

What do you do to stay fresh when feeling weary in life?