The Art of Attentiveness

  Fall, or my favorite name for this season,
 Autumn, calls me once again to practice
 the art of attentiveness.
     In less than two weeks,
 the trees have changed from
 green to varied shades of
yellow,
            orange,
                        red
                              and deep purple.
 Have you noticed?

  Another event in my life has reminded me anew of the importance of attentiveness:
   the death of a puppy.
Was she nursing well? Was she eating puppy mush? Was she gaining weight?

 To be able to answer these questions required attentiveness.
And on the last day of her life, it was watching closely for ways I could make her struggle to live easier.
 Each detail mattered.

    I am still learning this "art of attentiveness" as Mark Buchanan calls it in his book " The Rest of God".
 He defines this as:

"being fully present, wholly awake, in each moment".

 For me, it means being focused on what is in front of me, not thinking about what is next.
 For others, it may mean slowing down and taking the time to be fully present.
 What would it take for you to practice this art?

    Whether the moment is one of joy or pain, there are lessons to be learned, love to be given and received and life to be lived.

Oh to be one who lives practicing the art of attentiveness!

When I am Afraid

Outside my window on a tiny limb in a big oak tree perched a tiny sparrow.

 He bravely faced the wind and the light rain falling and I was fascinated.

Fascinated because I thought birds tucked their heads under their wings against the rain. 
Fascinated because into my mind floated a memory, a teaching from long ago about the birds of the air. 

My natural tendency is to worry and be anxious...yes, to be afraid.

 Afraid of tomorrow, 
  afraid of illness,
              lack of income,
              hurts. 
Afraid. 

As I watched the sparrow flit from branch to branch high up in the oak tree, I realized how free he was.

 No fear of falling. 
 No fear of the wind.
 No fear of the rain. 

Once the little creature almost missed the branch and hung on by a leaf but he didn't seem fearful. He just reached out for the limb and moved on. Free!

How can he be like this? Because his Maker will provide for him.

 And He will provide for me because I am of great worth to Him. 
So, when I am afraid of whatever, I remember the birds of the air and the One who loves me so. 

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

Matthew 6:25-26

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Moments...

Life is lived in moments. 

I've been slowly learning this over the past number of years but it really came home to me anew the other night when I helped my sweet dog, Demi, deliver her first litter. 
Those precious tiny puppies are born shrink wrapped in a clear membrane which is very hard to break. My job was to tear an opening in the membrane so Demi could begin stimulating her puppies to take their first breath.

 A moment... 
          and life hung in the balance. 

 

Yes, life is lived in moments.

  And each moment matters. Each moment becomes part of a chain of moments which make up a lifetime. 

How will in live in this moment? 
            Will I love? 
            Will I give? 
            Will I deny myself, think of others?
            Will I live for the One who made me? 

Sometimes but not each time.

 Oh how I want each moment to be lived rightly. 

I am learning the only way to live in the moment is to walk with God...moment by moment, in faith and in trust. 

Jam 4:14

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

A Quiet Place

Have you ever struggled to find a quiet place where you can rest your mind and your soul? 

This has been my struggle over the years. 

I want to read the Word,  
                                    meditate,  
                                                    talk to God...

but the noises of life keep crowding in 
(not to mention the "to do" list in my head and my own wandering thoughts)!

While reading John Piper's book "When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy", I discovered why I struggle. I've never been able to consistently have a space that is designated for this purpose.

Today, I asked God to show me a space and He did!

 There is a window upstairs that I've always loved because it looks out into the woods. It has been the home of our treadmill for years now, but not anymore! 

I grabbed my favorite chair (one where my feet touch the floor!), an antique table (long relegated to the attic),moved my "quiet time basket" by the chair and now, I have that long desired quiet place. 

If you don't have a quiet place, ask God to show you one! It might be a closet, a corner of a room or the corner of your yard. 

He just longs to help us find rest for our souls and a quiet place to meet Him. 

Matthew 11:28-29

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁸ “ Come to Me, all ^[a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is just begin! Where does one start, what does one do? Or in this case, what does one write? 
After way too much pondering as to how to begin, I've decided to just start!
I hope you will enjoy my brief ponderings about life in general and what I've learned along the way. 

FRIENDS

Friends are such an important part of life. They shape our thinking and influence our behavior. They lift our spirits or drag us down. They point us to wisdom or lead us to foolishness. Good friends, ones who listen, love, encourage and counsel, are gifts from the LORD. If you have good friends, thank God. If you don't, ask Him for good friends. God delights to give good gifts to His children.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Mat 7:11