Sense Deliberately

This picture is not very big (sorry) - the trees I am unfamiliar with...but they struck me as quite beautiful. The way they twist and curve upward, and outward at the top. The canopy creates a seemingly, wonderfully, magical ambiance...I would love to explore this forest...and linger, breathing deep the moment...I can almost hear the birds...and the warmth of the sun is not scorching, but rather soothing as it dances through the canopy to the floor of this delightful place...

Ahhh, to think that someone visited here and took a picture because they saw something momentous. I wonder if they stopped to thank God for allowing them the experience of this instant?

How often do you stop to "smell the roses"? ...Look around and see your world differently? Instead of the room with toys spread all over, a mess to clean up - look at it with a different perspective, say, that of the child who would come upon this room...how would they perceive it? In my experience, even one colourful object is enough to stir a child into wonder, let alone an entire room full of objects! Or how about the buildings and offices that you pass by day in and day out? What made each building the way it is ? I mean, was it designed for function, for ascetics, for both? Could you tell me the colour of each building, or whether there is a doorman, or stained glass, or gargoyles? Do you stop to see the detail or are all the buildings just a blur of familiarity before you enter your workplace?

I know at times it is impractical to stop what your are doing to engage in a slower, more deliberately observant action, but sometimes it is the best thing for you to do. Without taking the time to look at things and situations differently, we end up rather flat - 2-dimensional - less alive. God gave us our senses (how ever many you believe we have) to experience this world and most of us get into a routine of using only those senses that are obvious to the experience. For example, we see a beautiful yellow rose bush and think it is a delight to the eyes, but do you stop to smell the roses? feel the velvety petals or the sharpness of the thorns (though common sense might suggest that you avoid caressing the thorns...)? do you listen for bees or other insects, or whatever might be lurking about?

I guess what I am trying to say is don't be satisfied with the obvious, the mundane, the routine. Use your senses deliberately to explore and experience differently! When people loose their eyesight, their hearing and touch tends to become more astute; people who loose their hearing, tend to see details that hearing-others take for granted. Use your eyes, your ears, your nose, your mouth, your hands, your feet, your heart to experience this world the Lord has created and give Him thanks.

Thank you Father, I can see the trees sway in the wind,
Thank you Lord, I can feel the cool water rush by my toes,
Thank you God, I can taste the pomegranate as the seeds explode with flavour,
Thank you Jesus, I can sense Your awesome Presence,
Thank you.