Home > Caden, Children, Donny Pauling, Photography > I Think of This Photo While in Church

I Think of This Photo While in Church

For as long as he’s been able to stand, Caden has reached for me like this. The look on his face says it all: he’s almost desperate to be held.

Every time he reaches like this my heart melts. In fact, it almost hurt to make him wait as I shot this photo. I wanted to pick him up so bad, but I also wanted to capture the moment.

When he is upset I pick him up and whisper in his ear, calming him with my words.

This photo comes to my mind every time I’m in church. Others raise their hands in surrender, I raise my hands asking to be “picked up”. My hands look very similar to the way Caden’s hands look in this photo.

Lately my heart has been happy at times, heavy at others. It’s during those heavy times I reach skyward and ask God to pick me up and whisper calming words into my ears.

Categories: Caden, Children, Donny Pauling, Photography Tags:
  1. brad
    October 21st, 2006 at 04:04 | #1

    how many times have i been caden. i can’t even count. this pic, it’s incredible. it speaks the volumes , that i don’t have to time to type about how i’ve felt so often. so often.

    i’ve never seen your work before donny, but if its anything like this pic, you’re gifted.

  2. Belinda
    October 21st, 2006 at 04:35 | #2

    So cute!

  3. Nancy
    October 21st, 2006 at 18:44 | #3

    That is a darling picture.
    Hey Donny, I found this website- I haven’t looked at it much yet, and you may already know about it, but it looks like a really good site.
    http://www.pureintimacy.org/

  4. Tiffany
    October 23rd, 2006 at 05:05 | #4

    -Donny- This is so precious! Everything you speak of usually makes me stop and think. Your such a deep person with such great insight. Your truely inspiring!

  5. KF
    October 24th, 2006 at 22:53 | #5

    I actually got chills reading your description of why you raise your hands. It was beautiful.

  6. Dean
    October 25th, 2006 at 19:47 | #6

    A thought I had while reading this post. These kinds of pictures are great for services in churches. If you explored this area, I think that there is some side business that you could use your giftedness for.

    Take a look at some sites like:

    http://www.highwayvideo.com
    http://www.sermonspice.com

    Churches pay money for catalogs of pictures like yours to use as backdrops to worship or for posters and bulletins.

    Just a thought.

  7. Anonymous
    November 2nd, 2006 at 05:08 | #7

    Caden is extremely fortunate to have a great Daddy! I think some of the biggest pictures of God are seen in the faces and actions of our children. Capture all of them you can Donny!

    Great blog and go with God man! Go with God!

    Also, thanks for the link! Woot!

  8. Jon Lee
    November 8th, 2006 at 13:48 | #8

    Great Picture! I can relate – it wasn’t until the miracle of my son being born that I realized God is real – He is there, this couldn’t happen without him! Having grown up in the “church” – I knew the stories but I didn’t know God. He has made all the difference in my life. Thanks for keeping it real Donny!

  9. Donny Prater
    November 22nd, 2006 at 13:33 | #9

    I have the same image of my four year old reaching up for me. It’s emotional to see the innocence in his face as he wants nothing more than his daddy to pick him up. This must be what God sees when He looks down on us, not innocent by any measure, but helpless and in need of our daddy to pick us up. Thanks for the memories bro!

  10. Melissa
    January 8th, 2007 at 00:34 | #10

    I am here with my hands raised up. Unlike the innocent child, I have to be hurting to do it.

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