NOTICE AND DISCOVER – INTRODUCTION

Jim and I have been reading Brian McLaren’s excellent book, We Make the Road by Walking, for our daily devotions. One of our recent morning readings (“Significant and Wonderful”) has really impacted me. Brian writes about the miracle stories in the Bible – such as Jesus changing water into wine – noting that some people will believe these stories, and some will not. But he then offers us a third option…

“We could ask another question: What happens to us when we imagine miracles happening?” Brian adds, “Perhaps a miracle story is meant to shake up our normal assumptions, inspire our imagination about the present and the future, and make it possible for us to see something we couldn’t see before.” He continues by saying that miracle stories “stir us to imagine new ways of seeing, leading to new ways of acting, leading to new ways of being alive.”¹

For the rest of these summer weeks, I hope to take this idea and apply it to my everyday life, by seeking the deeper meaning or significance of the things I notice. God is always present and moving, but I know that I am not always paying attention. There may be miracles all around, yet I am missing them by expecting the mundane. When I am able to be more attentive to God, I begin to notice patterns and repeated messages that tell me God is at work and wants me to notice.

Each week, I will ask the Spirit to keep me aware and present, to help me notice what I should. Then, on my morning walks, I will take a photo of any scene, object, or image that draws my attention. In my quiet time, I will prayerfully and contemplatively reflect on that image, asking what God may be teaching me or revealing to me through it. And – if you would be blessed to do so – I hope you will join me! Each Monday, I will share what I have discovered, and offer some invitations for your own contemplation (I would love to learn what you have noticed, too).

May we all learn to be more vigilant and attentive to God in our daily lives, and in doing so, may we be surprised and assured of God’s constant presence and loving care for us. And may we begin to see our own daily miracles – to see the ways our extraordinary God is working through our ordinary days.

¹McLaren, Brian. We Make the Road by Walking. Jericho Books, 2014.

Photo by Karen, Hurricane, WV.