I marveled at how like a radio my mind worked, scanning restlessly from station to station, tuning in to this entertainment or that one…At moments I felt certain I could hear the God station signaling through the static, but I always lost it.
Randall Sullivan in “The Miracle Detective”
What do we see if we take the time to look?
Alan Jones in “Soul Making”
My wife Jody and I have the good fortune to spend time in Florida during the winter. We have a place in Naples, which is a beautiful little town on the Gulf Coast. Living just a couple of miles from the beach, we often follow a walking trail that cuts through a mangrove swamp. It is truly beautiful and unlike anything we can experience back in Nebraska. The swamp is home to a variety of birds, fish and the occasional alligator. Every once in a while, an alligator will block the trail while it suns itself.
Recently, on a particularly nice morning, we were walking as usual, when we heard a loud voice behind us:
“But, no one in the family even likes Cody!”
We were quickly overtaken by a woman walking briskly, eyes glued to the ground, talking loudly into her cellphone. At the same time, an equally loud woman approached from the other direction, eyes glued to the ground, talking loudly into her cellphone:
“I just don’t know. I bought these doors from Home Depot and I’m not sure they look right. You’ll have to come over and see what you think.”
Needless to say, the quiet of the morning was lost. As they sped off in their different directions, a number of thoughts began whirling around in my mind. To begin with, why were these women bothering to walk outside in the heat? They were totally oblivious to their surroundings; they could just as well have stayed in the air conditioning and walked on treadmills. And sharing their conversations like that was incredibly rude to the other walkers. Then I wondered if perhaps they were talking to each other. I mean, they were so self-absorbed that they could have easily passed one another without even realizing it. Maybe Cody had put the doors up, but had done a bad job. Maybe that’s why nobody like him. The possibilities are endless.
Additionally, there was the safety factor to consider. We did see an alligator that morning (pictured above). Now, it was a small gator, but I wouldn’t want to get bitten by it. These two were ignorant of its presence and could have easily ended up walking too close.
What bothered me the most was that they were missing the natural beauty all around them. They were totally unaware of the plants and animals that surrounded them. But, who am I to criticize. I’ve stumbled through most of my life half-asleep.
For years I wanted to hear God’s voice (not literally, though that would be nice too). It just seemed that God was silent. The truth of the matter is that God was talking constantly, only I wasn’t listening. My mind was too busy to tune in long enough to receive it. Nor were my eyes open to the messages God has encoded into nature. The world contains extraordinary diversity of life and it all speaks of the glory of God.
But, the message can easily be lost if you’re not paying attention. The word you hear used a lot these days is “mindfulness.” It’s a good word, though many people seem to think it belongs exclusively to eastern religions. Mindfulness is just another word for awareness. To be aware, for me, is to be truly alive. There is still a long spiritual journey ahead for me to be as truly aware and alive as I would like. The good news is that there is a lot to see along the way.
It always saddens me when people speak of their fear of God, or that they are a disciple of Christ in order to avoid going to hell. The fear of hell makes for a very selfish sort of discipleship. Not to mention a stunted life. Jesus said that he came that we might have life and “have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Fear closes you off from the abundant life that God has provided. Worst of all, to live fearfully is never to hear God’s voice telling you how much God loves you.
I challenge you (when the weather gets warmer) to go outside and truly study some piece of God’s creation. It could be a flower, a weed, a cloud, it really doesn’t matter if you give it your full attention. I guarantee you will find something extraordinary in it. In the meantime, keep an eye out for gators.
Divine Overtones 