As I write, my desk faces a window looking to our front yard and the park across the street from our home. Every time I take a break from writing I see our maple tree and its leaves. Right now the leaves are blowing in the breeze. The skies are gray and cloudy. A car passes by every once in a while. Leaves lay scattered on the ground.
I go back to typing, but the scene outside keeps calling to me.
I look out the window again. Now I see the green needles of our bushes. If I look closer insects are scurrying about. Down the street I see a couple walking hand in hand, their faces turned to one another. A bird hops across the ground in search of a worm.
If I keep looking, I keep seeing more.
Isn’t that how it always goes? If we take time to notice what’s in front of us, there are always more gifts to see. Yet, how often do we fail to notice what’s right in front of us?
Today take a moment to notice that which is right in front of you. Look at shapes and details. In the noticing, listen for how God is speaking to you through these gifts. Give thanks for the small details. Say a prayer of thanks for beauty. Invite God to keep your attention fixed on hope.
Pay attention. Notice. I’ll be searching this world, too, for signs of God’s grace and peace.
The world is waiting for us to notice.
Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is an ordained ELCA pastor, mother of two, and spouse of an ELCA pastor. She lives with her family in Cole Camp, MO. You can read more at her website, follow her work on Facebook, or sign up for her monthly newsletter.
Photo: Unsplash, @popovski