Noticings - Look Around

Ferris Bueller, Looking behind, and a Buffalo pup...

In addition to what you’ll read tomorrow as my Sermon on the Mount musings return, I have also been noticing a lot about the importance of turning around.  We hear and speak a lot about “staying focused,” “keep your eyes on what’s in front of you,” and so forth.  Those are good tips for a lot of life but sometimes, as Ferris Bueller said “Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”  This week, and this morning especially, looking at what was around and behind me revealed some wondrous beauty.

This morning, I went out for a walk without Scout (she was not interested in getting up this morning) and so I took Thomas Merton’s words to heart and focused on “taking more time and covering less ground.”  I just spent some time by the water at Winton Lake and was initially focused on the sunrise ahead of me.  But as I got up from a bench and turned around, I saw something I might not have seen otherwise.  While the sunrise in front of me was pretty, behind me was...

I recorded a video of the 360 around me near that moment and it was just a beautiful time.  (Tagged on to the end is a short video of a bird just gliding on the invisible currents).

Here’s another photo from that moment of looking around (my favorite bench)

But these weren’t the only “look around” moments this week.  There was this tiny little piece from a small bush that had fallen and was just dangling by a nearly invisible spider web.  I actually saw it as I walked by and then decided to go back.  This was with my macro lens and it was nor more than about ¼ - ½ of an inch.

And then this moment at Rowe Woods on Friday morning..  This was off to the side from the path Scout and I were on.  It was a magical moment of this small beam of sunlight shining through the trees.

My heart heard the words of Paul in Philippians 4 with these kinds of moments:

My sacred family members, if anything can be seen as good and honorable, think deeply about these things. Things that are true and noble, upright and pure, full of beauty and worthy of respect.¹

Simply noticing.  Simply looking around.  Simply seeing what is all around us.  These are such a gift when we have intention.

Finally, noticing the awesomeness of my pup...looking dramatic and then looking sharp in her hat and CU sunglasses for the Buffs...

1. M. Wildman, Terry. First Nations Version (p. 363). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.