| | Seeing. Looking. Waiting. Breathing. "Imagining." Being. These things seem important, no? The very essence of life - or a life well-lived, at least. Yet... how is it that these things that I long to embody often seem so unattainable in the throes of busyness and planners... work and errands and checklists. Life often sweeps my feet out from under me, and these things are left on the sideline as I sprint to keep up with whatever deadline is ever-dangling in front of my determined face like a stringed banana that I will never catch (nice analogy, eh? :). I easily get lost in the fast pace of school, work, checklists, etc. as stress settles in next to me like an all-too familiar and weighty companion. My eyes grow dim with that companion next to me and I slide blindly past wonders scattered all about my feet. I trudge through my week with a thick cloud above me and a mischievous "friend" by my side, only to find that I have missed out on much. There have been moments when I could have chosen to see tiny dancing lighted wonders or that dazzling color or that wondrous smile or that tiny glorious leaf, but alas... my paunchy companion has kept me from seeing these "fringes" of glory glittering all about me.
I don't think I am alone in the scurry that we have all grown quite accomplished at performing with ease - the same one that keeps us from seeing what is by our big toe or sitting next to us on the couch. So, not that i can snap my fingers at the approach of this new year and slow down time so that I can smell the wafting fragrances in the air as I stoop in slow, perfect motion to peek at glimmering dew on a newly opened flower at my feet (although, that would be nice). But I can seek to find ways to build into my days moments of slowed-down-time. Time to stop. To look for the fringe scattered about my feet. Time to listen for whispers. And time to whisper back an echoed thanks.
Jones agrees, too, I think. About the need to look. And others... Dillard. Thoreau. etc.
"What do we see if we take the time to look? We see disconnection, absurdity, and glory - certainly these are contradictory things. If we look hard enough, we will see a great deal of glory and promise. Unfortunately, our vision is often distorted by pain and suffering. But we need to look at pain and suffering if we are to see past them to the glory and the promise. There is real glory in a way of believing that tries to be honest about what it sees."
- Soul Making by Alan Jones
Also see: Job 26:14!
so, why not start now?? glimmers. glitter. glory. goodness. grace. hmmm... well, why not start with something that speaks to me (loudly) of all of these "g's?!"
Snow!!!
snowflakes!
woah.
lots.
I have always been fascinated with snowflakes. Snow in general - the sight of a gusty storm out the window at home, the fields scattered with the white glory. the trees laden with it, the fields scattered with such an abundant glory that the breath is very nearly knocked out of me. But the thing that gets me the most and makes the whole word come alive with acuteness and absurdity is when I pull on my boots, put on a coat, and step out into the mayhem of whirling excessive beauty. I stoop down... sit... and get close enough to see. To really peek at what is littering the ground with such ridiculous beauty. and there they are. perfect little shapes. not globs of white, plunked down to make a pretty blanket only from afar - oh no! Instead, there at my feet (and under my toosh!?! oops) are delicate, intricate, amazing shapes littered, scattered, tilting this way and that, precariously positioned all about. what is this crazy excess of creativity, i wonder? i mean, little blobs of ice without shape that cover the world in a blanket of white - that i can understand. that i get. even that would be (and sometimes is) breathtaking. but this... this flagrant disregard for simplicity - this bombastic language of creation... this spell-binding show of care to detail... THIS leaves me reeling. and this... this always whispers of glory to me.
And... it's rather on the loud side for a whisper. |
| | Posted 1/4/2009 6:20 PM - 13 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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