Noticing

I was walking through the parking lot at work this week, getting to campus early to catch up on a few things. I zipped in and parked at the far end of the lot to get a little exercise  on my way into the office. While I made mental lists of things to do for the day, I strode purposefully across the lot for several minutes. Then I passed a young woman, a student, who was stopping to take a picture. I glanced up at what she was seeing.

Only then did I notice the spectacular sky, the colorful sunrise and the horizon we could see across into Iowa. It was a wonderful sunrise, with a balmy winter’s day to enjoy it.

When will I learn to watch the gifts God is offering me every day? Why do I get so caught up in things that I don’t notice what is going on around me?

What return can I make for all the Lord has given me?

Image by Vertigogen under Creative Commons license.

Maureen McCann Waldron
Maureen McCann Waldron
Maureen McCann Waldron graduated from Creighton University with a degree in journalism and then spent 22 years in corporate public relations. After receiving her master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton, she joined Andy Alexander, SJ, in Creighton’s Collaborative Ministry Office.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Maybe that’s God’s purpose in sending us those hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunami’s and earthquakes. God says, “I send sunrises, sunsets, meteorites. I send the flowers and fresh fallen snow, but, you won’t stop to look.” He/She then throws wind, hail, raging waves and asks, “Do you see now? Do you notice now?” 🙂

  2. Thanks for a nice massage on letting God into our lives. I would to shear
    with you all some thing that made me feel happy today it was in my back
    garden I could see some rain drops on a leaf it looked so nice to see such a
    beautiful think.
    Phil

  3. What a important reminder: that sometimes it takes others to draw our attention to the divine laid bare and beautiful right before us. Perhaps sometimes we are the ones who make people stop and see, and other times we are the ones who must be caught off guard.

  4. Some time back I went to visit a copper mine. (Now a sort of museum. Mines closed a long time ago,thank God). The miners went down before dawn and did not come up untill after dark a greater part of the year. The work horses remained underground and soon went blind. I thought it so very sad.
    Yet I too go engrossed in my thoughts and miss so much beauty. I ask myself the same questions you ask. To answer the third, in someone else`s words:”The past is God`s gift to me. The future is my gift to God.” Thanks Maureen.

  5. The other day I was in the car during the time of sunset. I know that it was sunny when I got in the car, and only after it was dark did I realize that sunset had occurred, but I missed it. Thank you for the reminder to notice the sun at rise or setting–even in the winter!

  6. Thank you , Maureen, for giving me the eyes to see today. I am sure today will be full of gifts and graces, and now I am more likely to recognize and receive them. Thank you.

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