Finding My Voice in Creation's Chorus

It happened in a misty rainforest in Hawaii. Dawn was just breaking, and I stood still amid emerald vegetation dripping with dew. That's when I heard it—a pure, unwavering song cutting through the gentle rainfall. Following the sound, I spotted a tiny bird perched on a rain-slicked branch, its throat vibrating with melody despite the shower. Camera in hand, I captured the moment, and something clicked within me deeper than the sound of my shutter.

In that moment, I understood something profound about praise.

Each morning across the world, as the first rays of sunlight pierce through the morning mist, God's creation awakens to a magnificent chorus. The birds, those divinely crafted musicians of the air, begin their daily symphony without hesitation or self-consciousness. They don't question their voices or compare their songs to others. They simply sing.

"Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!" — Psalm 96

Each species contributes its unique voice to this natural orchestra: the melodious warble of the thrush, the cheerful trill of the chickadee, the robust song of the cardinal, and even the simple caw of the crow. What's equally remarkable is how each bird's appearance matches the distinctiveness of its song. The cardinal's brilliant red plumage blazes like a living flame, while the bluebird wears the very color of heaven itself. The humble sparrow sports its dignified brown coat, and the goldfinch gleams like a shaft of sunshine. Each bird is clothed in colors and patterns as unique as its voice, creating a visual feast alongside the auditory one.

For years, I had longed to have a beautiful singing voice—to join the church choir or lead worship with song. But my voice wasn't made for that kind of music. Standing there in that Hawaiian rainforest, watching that persistent little singer, I finally understood that I had been defining praise too narrowly.

Through my camera lens, I had already found my voice in creation's chorus. Each time I lift my camera, I'm participating in an act of praise, capturing and sharing these divine moments—freezing in time the arc of a swallow's flight, the intensity of an owl's gaze, or the delicate detail of a hummingbird's wings. My photography becomes my song of praise, transforming fleeting moments of beauty into lasting testimonies of God's creative power.

"For the gifts and the calling of God are without regret." — Romans 11:29

Back home, as I was standing in the early morning light by the still water’s edge of the bay, I found myself mirroring the patience of the Great Blue Heron in the shallows. We're both watching, waiting, ready to capture what God provides—the heron with its sharp beak, and I with my camera's shutter. In these quiet moments of observation, I'm learning to participate in the divine rhythm of creation in my own unique way.

The Scripture tells us to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" (Psalm 100). Through my lens, I've discovered that while I may not have the voice of a songbird, I can still contribute to creation's symphony. Some may sing with their voices, but I sing with my camera, capturing the visual music of God's world. Each new bird I photograph becomes another note in my growing song of praise, and I've found that the click of my shutter can be its own form of joyful noise.

In this realization, I've freed myself from the narrow definition of what praise can be. Each time I capture the iridescent flash of a hummingbird's throat, document the graceful soar of an eagle, or share the quiet dignity of a dove, I'm participating in the grand chorus. Every photograph I take becomes another harmonizer in the choir, another way to celebrate the Creator's artistry.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." — Romans 12:6

And I'm not alone in this diverse chorus. Around me, others join in with their own unique gifts: painters with their brushes, writers with their words, dancers with their movements, teachers with their lessons, gardeners with their nurturing hands, and singers with their voices. Together, we create a harmony that's beautiful precisely because of its variety.

Perhaps you too have a gift waiting to be recognized as your own form of joyful noise. What speaks to your heart when you encounter beauty? What moves you to pause, to notice, to wonder?

Ask yourself: What aspect of creation fills me with wonder? What skills has the Creator placed in my hands? How might I use these to honor the artistry I see around me?

No matter where we find ourselves, God has surrounded us with His symphony to start each new day. The invitation echoes in every sunrise, in every birdsong, in every gentle breeze: join the chorus in whatever way you can.

The symphony of creation continues whether we participate or not. But when we do—when we offer our unique gifts in praise—we experience the joy of knowing our part matters. Through my photographs, I join with the birds in their unending praise, adding my own essential note to their timeless song.

And in doing so, I've discovered something the birds knew all along: the joy isn't in having the perfect voice, but in lifting the one you've been given.

The chorus is incomplete without your voice—whatever form it takes.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Psalm 150