A testimony about working from rest & intimacy!

There is a Backstory to this testimony, in the same location, Huntington Beach, California, USA. As this testimony is related to.
I took the photo below in March 2013.
That was all arranged by God. At a time of my life when I did not want to have anything to do with God at all. (I still had my faith left).
In October 2015, after I totally re-dedicated my life to Jesus. I received a prophetic word from an unknown person.
A word that described, that image in great detail. With the interpretation that I have the call from God to be a prophet.
And that I needed to be at a place of rest and recharging.
The interpretation of surfers is often related to the office of prophets.
As surfers ”flows with the power of the water” (Holy Spirit). The prophets flow together with the Holy Spirit.
The sunset represents rest, and the blue sky intimacy and revelation.
To make a long story short. In 2019 I understood that this prophecy was from the Lord and that He arranged the picture.
At that moment He spoke to me. That even in a time when I did not want to walk with Him. He still had a plan and a call for My life.

On October 31, 2016, I was back in Huntington Beach, together with my wife Karin.
We had landed in Los Angeles the day before. And to reduce jet lag and adjust our body clocks.
(There is a 9-hour time difference between Sweden and California).
We went to be on the beach, enjoying the truly great weather.
About 30 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. This differs a whole lot from Sweden,
where it is rainy, dark, and temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius.
At that time I was working as a professional sports photographer.
(The reason for that trip was to attend a workshop for sports photographers).
Which meant that I had to work with an extreme tempo, high completion, and tough demands.
Anything but peaceful.
So I decided to take the opportunity to try to take some photos of surfers.
On my terms. Without any pressure at all.
I had my feet in the water of the Pacific Sea. I.E the Sea of peace.
Enjoying the breeze from the sea, the sun, and the warm temperatures. Having a great time.
Due to reflections in the water, and hazy weather. The colors in the images were pretty bad.
So when I was editing the pictures, I decided to turn the photos into black and white.
When I started learning photos around 1990. I photographed and developed images in black and white in the dark room.

About three years later I understood that a couple of the images had a serious chance in international competitions.
Due to the age of the images I had to look for a competition where I could submit them. In 2020.
I submitted the image below to the Budapest International Foto Awards 2020.
In the class Events/Sport. And won a Gold Award.
About two weeks after that, I heard the Lord speak to me.
That was when I was in a place of rest, peace, and intimacy with the Lord in a parabolic sense.
He created it together with me. Something I was not even thinking about when I took the photos.

Later I submitted a total of four images from that day to different competitions.
And to an international online gallery.
As of today, I have received one Gold Award, one Silver Award, and one Bronze Award.
From the competitions Budapest International Foto Awards 2020 and Budapest International Photo Awards 2021.
I have also received four ”Awards by the head curators” of One Exposure with these images.
(Les than one percent of all photographers applying to One Exposure receive an award).

The Lord arranged all of this. As a testimony that He wants us to work together with Him from a place of rest, peace, and intimacy.
Flowing together with the Holy Spirit. And when we do that. He will work together with us. Doing the things only He can do!

References to the awards:
https://avodah.art/pages/gold-award-by-bifa
https://avodah.art/pages/bifa-2021-awards
https://1x.com/photo/1921294
https://1x.com/photo/1823156
https://1x.com/photo/1423704
https://1x.com/photo/229807

Theese photos are available as collectors fine art prints.
Where I use the profits to coach entrepreneurs working with social entrepreneurship according to Isiah 58.