I took this photograph with my iPhone 4s, no filters.

Cape San Blas in the Florida panhandle is one of my favorite places for a long weekend escape. I’m not a fan of the water for swimming, too much mineral stuff makes the water brownish, and frankly, catfish, sharks, and all manner of rays makes it unpleasant for floating in a cheap plastic raft (though ideal for surf fishing).

It is, however, a heavenly place for reflection. For photographing. For amazing sunsets. For long walks, and short walks, and sitting in the surf.

It is a perfect place for prayer.

And a perfect place to count the stars and sift the sand through my fingers and ponder my role in God’s perfect plan.

When I took this picture, I was intentionally noticing the juxtaposition of darkness and light — the shadows that are both a place to hide, unseen, and a refuge, when the heat and the spotlight are too much with us.

There’s a tiny silhouette of an egret in the bottom third of the picture. He’s barely seen in the wide expanse of the sea and sky, but there he is, all alone.

I’ve felt like that sometimes in my life, overwhelmed by the world — the universe — around me, and I’ve felt tiny and insignificant, unnoticed in the infinite sky.

I like this picture because it tells a different story. The egret may be alone, it may be almost lost within the shadows, but it’s there, and so is the sun, peeking out behind the dark clouds. I witness a scene like this and I know that God is present in every place, in every moment.

check out the Catholic Photo Challenge at Steve Nelson’s blog, everythingesteban.