Hello!  Thanks for reading about Catholic Photo Challenge #5!

I called in the big guns for help on this new challenge.  My dear friend Maria Johnson (begojohnson.com) has graciously agreed (OK, I twisted her arm live on Catholic Weekend) to guest post for this challenge.  Thanks Maria!

I think you’ll really like this challenge!

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“322 Christ invites us to filial trust in the providence of our heavenly Father (cf. Mt 6:26-34),
and St. Peter the apostle repeats: “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you” (I Pt 5:7; cf. Ps 55:23).”

It’s easy to think that our era is wrought with anxiety and worries, more so than any other time in history, but that’s probably because we’re living in this era. But it seems to be a part of the human condition — this self-centeredness that makes us, individually, the focus of the drama we call life.

Christ’s invitation to join Him, to Trust Him, takes us out of that self-centeredness.

So much of it, especially for me, is about control. I want to control all the events in my life, from the traffic on the way to work when the guy in front of me isn’t moving fast enough for my liking, to the way others treat me at the office, to the personal relationships I have in my family and circle of friends.

The truth is, I can’t control everything. In fact, I can’t control anything.

I can, however, choose to trust in the Lord’s providence. I can, as St. Peter urges, trust Him who loves me and cares for me.

This is difficult for those of us who tend to be worriers, but there is great rest in the knowledge that God, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, has us in the palm of His hand.

For this photo challenge, capture a scene or event that expresses joy in a carefree moment. A scene when you, or someone else, is living in the moment, not fettered by worries or needing to be in total control.

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