Mindful Monday: Whisper

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.

Continuing the thoughts I alluded to last Thursday .....While I haven't been tuned into every detail of others' lives, I have been more in tune with the details of my surroundings.  I find myself thinking "hey, that would make a great picture, look how the light is shining through the leaves...that angle gives a great perspective...that color really pops with that background....I never noticed that before....I wish I had my camera!...just appreciate the beauty around you, a mental snapshot will suffice."

I don't know what it is about this fall, but I'm seeing everything from a new perspective.  Instead of mourning the end of summer while bracing for winter, I'm enjoying the rich beauty that only comes with autumn.  I don't see green plants dying, they're changing, preparing for the next season of life.  Breathtaking colors appear out of nowhere.  Deep red, bright orange, vibrant green and golden yellow paint the trees.  Majestic purple flowers stand out among dried weeds.  Silky, soft milkweed seeds float slowly in the breeze, shining in the sunlight. Plumes of tall grass sway gently in the breeze, their feathery tops brushing back and forth like an artist's paintbrush.

Wind blowing through tree tops is familiar, but the rustle of corn husks is like nothing I've ever heard.  I actually had to stop and listen before I realized just what I was hearing.  Imagine standing near an entire field of dried out corn stalks.  As the breeze moves, each leaf crackles and rattles as it rubs against neighboring husks.  I can't quite find the right words to describe it, but somehow it seems more intentional and encompassing than the fluttering of the wind in the trees, like a carefully orchestrated symphony.

Lately, words have been pouring into my head like waves crashing across the shore.  But just like waves, the words are elusive, impossible to capture in stiff black letters.  Perhaps if I took a journal outside I could capture the beauty of the moment instead of attempting to recreate it while sitting at the computer. When I'm outside everything comes alive.  I find myself pausing, drinking in the vivid detail around me and wondering where this new found sense of mindfulness is coming from.  All of a sudden I feel joy, a sense of peace.  Like contagious laughter I can't help but spread a smile across my face.  Golden sunbeams stream across my cheeks, penetrating deeper than skin and warming me to the core.  Pure, deep blue skies seem to engrave new facets and shades of blue into my already blue eyes.  Cool, crisp air refreshes my body with each  fresh breath.

Is this what it feels like to hear the whisper of God?  When I pause and listen, I hear him in the quiet, I see him in the detail.  The engulfing peace and beauty removes all doubt and I know he is speaking. The descriptive words flowing into my head sound nothing like my usual thought pattern.  The negative self-criticism track typically playing in my head is overwhelmed by quiet delight and utter reassurance.  If only to capture this moment.

Food for Thought: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." -Psalm 19:1-2