Sunday, March 30, 2008

Awareness and Transformation

Perhaps as a result of Lent when I found myself deliberately slowing down to pay attention, I’ve been noticing more of my surroundings--the moon glowing and growing so big and then so small again, the fragrant orange blossoms on the tree in my backyard, and the soft way the Spanish moss drapes across the limbs of the trees. Tonight, when I went to sit with Rickey in the yard for a few minutes, he showed me a small "weed" he had pulled out of our lawn. Although it was only four inches tall, it was really the start of an oak tree. It had three green leaves attached to a single stem, but at the bottom was a barely cracked acorn with a tiny bit of dirt and a few fragile roots connecting the whole thing--wow! I was reminded of a wonderful article I read this past week, "Beauty and the Creative Impulse," by Lucy Shaw. She wrote, “The messages of beauty...print themselves on our imaginations and do their transforming work in us, reminding us, if we are aware, of the One behind the messages.” My prayer is to be more aware and to be transformed.
--Anna Cotton

2 comments:

Rehoboth said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Anna. Our culture does not encourage taking much time for reflection, and observation of the beauty in our surroundings. Your post reminded me that I need to re-read Edith Schaeffer's book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking soon.

living stones said...

Mrs. Cotton, That was beautifully put. I really needed to read that right now. I mean it. Thank you. --Paul

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