Learning to trust: Professionalism

Birgit-Cathrin Duval recently came on board to visit me. She interviewed me for a feature on my boat project and took some photos. Despite the cold, I felt completely at ease. She didn’t ask me to strike unnatural poses that are supposedly effective – I’ve been through that before. Instead, she knew how to capture me just as I am. Every now and then she made little comments, such as „Head a little lower“ if I’d stretched my neck too far. Otherwise, she worked calmly and professionally.

And the photos… here’s one of them… speak for themselves. It’s been ages since I’ve seen such a beautiful photo of myself – one that radiates strength and reflects my dreams. I just think it’s absolutely beautiful…almost better than the original… (and I hadn’t even put on any make-up…it’s all real!).

I’m not without talent when it comes to photography myself, but your picture of the ice floes on the Spree captures the atmosphere that prevailed there last week in a truly unique way. It was quiet, but at the same time always amusing when there was a knock on the deck and we’d ask ourselves: Who’s that coming? And then we’d realise… no, it was just an ice floe that had just struck the keel.

You can tell from Birgit’s photos that she’s a professional. As I think a lot about trust, it dawned on me that this is also an aspect of trust: the professionalism with which someone goes about their work. There are some very well-trained coaches whom I would find far easier to trust than someone who means well but doesn’t have the necessary tools of the trade. And I myself undertake further training every year to expand my knowledge and skills.

When I think about God like this, it strikes me that He is the most professional of them all: the best-trained coach, the most creative artist, the most experienced doctor, the most talented carpenter, the most widely read teacher, the master of all masters…

I’m going to give this a go: whenever I want to trust God about something, I’ll think about exactly why He’s the expert in that area. I reckon that might help me to trust Him. An example: At the moment, it’s weighing on me that I have so many valuable things on board that I no longer need and that are just getting in the way. I’d like to get rid of all those things and pass them on to the right people at the best possible prices. When I pray for God to help me with this, it does me good to remember that He is a professional at tidying up. In the midst of utter chaos, where everything was desolate and empty, He manages to create order and shape a creative new world. So it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for him to help me organise a little boat like this….

Back to Birgit. You can find more photos and a short report on her visit on board, as well as a podcast featuring an interview about the ship project, on her Blog.
And: Birgit doesn’t keep her knowledge to herself. I’d recommend her activity booklet to anyone who’d like to learn from her „Take a photo! with some really great tips from an expert. Photography is also available as Ebook. And her blog Takkiwrites for more beautiful photos and fascinating reports.