Sometimes my eyes are open, but I do not really see. Today, I am determined to see. Grabbing my camera, I step out of the comfortable, cozy hotel and onto cold concrete sidewalk. Frigid air swirls around my being and dances away on the wind taking with it all the dead and dried out leaves from the previous season. There is no mistake that this morning, Winter has made its arrival and has no intention of leaving anytime soon.
Glancing down, mid-stroll, I freeze. Like a computer generated game character, time stands still for me. One brilliant, colby colored tender leaf lays at my feet. It is surrounded by dirt y brown, rusty, and golden dried out leaves ready to be collected and made into mulch. Not able to stop myself, my hand reaches down and scoops it up. How did this one leaf escape death so far? Could it be that I saw it because I purposely set out to "see" today?
I have been alive 19,119 days and I have to wonder what all I have missed because I did not really "see". I have been blinded and lulled to sleep by bright lights; my own swirling thoughts; and the splendor of sparkly and colorful things that flash before my eyes on the screen. Yikes! I will never get to relive those days and all I have missed.
I have been alive 19,119 days and I have to wonder what all I have missed because I did not really "see". I have been blinded and lulled to sleep by bright lights; my own swirling thoughts; and the splendor of sparkly and colorful things that flash before my eyes on the screen. Yikes! I will never get to relive those days and all I have missed.
Can I be honest? I often don't really "hear" either. I read the print in my leather bound book and I don't really "hear" any application to my life? Story after story of weird and even distorted events and people. You know the stories I am speaking of... a man being swallowed by a whale and spewed out onto a beach? Another one where an ass speaks to a person out on a road? You get the picture. How am I suppose to understand these things that happened so long ago?
As I carefully pick my steps this evening on my chilly stroll, I am focusing on "hearing". My ears are hearing the spoken words coming through the tangle of white wires attached to my ears, but am I really "listening"? As usual, I feel like I am hearing rocks in a rock tumbler. In the flicker of time that it takes for a snake's tongue to taste the air, I "hear" and understand what is being transmitted through the wires. It is as if someone has taken my ears off "mute" and there is a voice coming through loud and clear. I can not shake the reality of this hearing. It sticks to my consciousness the way honey sticks to the spoon.
We often hear about "covenants". Maybe you've even made a covenant with someone. Maybe you've kept it or maybe your good intentions just didn't work out. God made a covenant with Abram and this covenant is for me too. In Genesis, He told him to bring a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and a pigeon; kill them; cut them down the middle and lay the halves side by side. (Honestly, a pretty gross visual and I am glad He did not ask me to do this! Yuck! ) In Abram's time, there were several types of covenants, but the most binding was of blood and it was formalized by the both parties passing between the divided halves of the sacrificed animals. When God told Abram to sacrifice those animals and lay their halves side by side, God alone passed between them. Thus, it is God alone who keeps this covenant. We contribute nothing to our salvation. The keeping of this covenant with us is completely dependent on God. The only thing we have to offer is our trust.
Twenty four hours has passed and still the message is stuck inside of my head like a fly stuck to fly paper. I can not shake it. I can not cancel this covenant. I have no rights to this covenant. It is offered to me freely.
Tonight, I wish we were sitting across from each other in a coffee shop. Tonight, I would look you in the eyes and dare you to really "see". Tonight, I would gently encourage you to silence your inner noise and really "hear" what our Abba is saying. Ask Him to allow your ears to be open and your eyes to really see. You might be surprised at what He has for you.
Until we Chat Again,
The Plank-Eyed Girl
As I carefully pick my steps this evening on my chilly stroll, I am focusing on "hearing". My ears are hearing the spoken words coming through the tangle of white wires attached to my ears, but am I really "listening"? As usual, I feel like I am hearing rocks in a rock tumbler. In the flicker of time that it takes for a snake's tongue to taste the air, I "hear" and understand what is being transmitted through the wires. It is as if someone has taken my ears off "mute" and there is a voice coming through loud and clear. I can not shake the reality of this hearing. It sticks to my consciousness the way honey sticks to the spoon.
We often hear about "covenants". Maybe you've even made a covenant with someone. Maybe you've kept it or maybe your good intentions just didn't work out. God made a covenant with Abram and this covenant is for me too. In Genesis, He told him to bring a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and a pigeon; kill them; cut them down the middle and lay the halves side by side. (Honestly, a pretty gross visual and I am glad He did not ask me to do this! Yuck! ) In Abram's time, there were several types of covenants, but the most binding was of blood and it was formalized by the both parties passing between the divided halves of the sacrificed animals. When God told Abram to sacrifice those animals and lay their halves side by side, God alone passed between them. Thus, it is God alone who keeps this covenant. We contribute nothing to our salvation. The keeping of this covenant with us is completely dependent on God. The only thing we have to offer is our trust.
Twenty four hours has passed and still the message is stuck inside of my head like a fly stuck to fly paper. I can not shake it. I can not cancel this covenant. I have no rights to this covenant. It is offered to me freely.
Tonight, I wish we were sitting across from each other in a coffee shop. Tonight, I would look you in the eyes and dare you to really "see". Tonight, I would gently encourage you to silence your inner noise and really "hear" what our Abba is saying. Ask Him to allow your ears to be open and your eyes to really see. You might be surprised at what He has for you.
Until we Chat Again,
The Plank-Eyed Girl
No comments:
Post a Comment