More thoughts from my Deck Time, prompted by ‘God in the Yard’ (Spiritual Practice for the Rest of Us)**, an ongoing full stop in the middle of my days.
There’s a scientific rule, I think, about forward motion–the more intensely and quickly an object is moving, the harder it is to slow down. Something like that.
I feel like that a lot these days–trying to be intentional about Sabbathing, slowing down of any kind–is getting harder and harder.
But I’m not giving up. I know that being purposeful to make the time to stop and see, to rest and listen, adds to my life. And I can’t share my life with you via my words if I’m in too much of a hurry to live it.
Maybe that’s why telling stories is harder to come by these days. We have our Smartphones and iPhones ready as an extra appendage to snap a photo of Absolutely Everything we see. If I can rely on a gadget to capture the image in front of me, it loses some beauty in the translation, really, because I don’t have to tell you anything, I just take a picture.
Think about it.
I don’t have to stretch to describe the colors of the sunset to you, give any thought to telling you what it felt like to just sit there and enjoy God’s creation–all I have to do is hand you my phone and say, “Look, isn’t that awesome?”
It’s a shortcut, really, that ‘gets’ us to our destination–the view–but something gets lost along the way. You miss the scenery that gets you there, the words that pave the way for the sights and sounds.
Maybe we’d get better at seeing if, instead of grabbing our phone or our camera, we simply used our vision to record the wonderful world we see. Or better yet, while we are looking, maybe TAKE OFF our glasses, force our busy eyes to relax so we can use our other senses to experience something.
Or close our eyes, recall the sounds, describe the texture, the depth of the color.
Is the wind rustling the leaves like the washing of waves on some faraway shore?
Do you feel the breeze cool on your body, massaging your skin with the sure fact of Fall’s arrival?
Maybe the tea will taste better, the sweet warmth visiting your mouth with a fragrant wake up call.
Turn off the phone, tune into your senses and tell the world what you see.
Here’s what I saw and heard:
The sky like pink tissue paper, full at the top with impending water, the silhouette of the trees, like some night-time frame.
The quieting chatter of the birds as they slip home to their nests, leave the feeders and hide for the evening in their bushy homes.
The softening sounds of children’s voices, calling out to friends below.
The wide, wide view, Creator-made, to fill me with the joy at his greatness and the gentleness of his voice to me, a friend of His in this wonder-filled world.
Take the time to stop. If it can’t be for an entire Sabbath day, find your Sabbaths in the ‘in-betweens’–30 minutes stolen away to be with your Creator.
He’s really into Show and Tell. Promise.
If you want to read my sporadic series of posts about Sabbath on the Page, click here.
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Here’s what I saw and heard:
The sky like pink tissue paper, full at the top with impending water, the silhouette of the trees, like some night-time frame.
The quieting chatter of the birds as they slip home to their nests, leave the feeders and hide for the evening in their bushy homes.
The softening sounds of children’s voices, calling out to friends below.
The wide, wide view, Creator-made, to fill me with the joy at his greatness and the gentleness of his voice to me, a friend of His in this wonder-filled world.
Take the time to stop. If it can’t be for an entire Sabbath day, find your Sabbaths in the ‘in-betweens’–30 minutes stolen away to be with your Creator.
He’s really into Show and Tell. Promise.
If you want to read my sporadic series of posts about Sabbath on the Page, click here.
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Linking with Laura for Playdates and Ms. Kelli at Unforced Rhythms.
I admit it – so often this is me. It takes a certain intentionality to disconnect from the buzz of busyness and the hum of the iPhone. And sometimes? I don't make the effort. But you have reminded me of the glories and the benefits of using words to transmit the experience. Thank you, friend. What a beautiful addition to the Unforced Rhythms community.
You are so right, Jody. Sometimes we move at such a hectic pace, God's wonders are nothing but a blur. To sit, and especially to write, slows us down so we can appreciate more fully His creation and His blessings. Writing is thinking; it helps us focus. Thinking is meditation when mind and spirit come together in the exercise. Thank you for sharing your wonder-collection with us!
Good perspective friend!