windows

Today I am thankful for… windows.

It’s 45 degrees Fahrenheit outside… at 7am… in September. Nearly every day this spring and summer I sat outside this early to watch the sunrise, read my bible and pray. But this morning I opted for the window seat instead of a winter coat.

This morning’s window programming included birds bouncing from tree to tree. The sun. The blue sky. The leaves on the neighbor’s tree starting to change colors. Already.

I couldn’t imagine my home without windows. The darkness, the solitude, the inability to see out. Windows are important.

We need to see what is outside of us.

We need to see what is bigger than us. As it is. Without filters. Without curators. Without cropping and photoshop. Without captions and overlays.

We need things that can’t be shared or commented on. Things that we experience. For ourselves. In real time. In real life. In silence. With curiosity and awe and respect.

Windows give me that opportunity. To be where I am, and see.

But here’s another thing about windows. They don’t advertise. They don’t interrupt you. They don’t force you to see. You have to choose to get up from where you are and go. And look. And make the time. You have to choose to listen with your eyes. To sit long enough to notice the details, look for the patterns, find the beauty in the moment.

God, help me see today. This week. This month. This year. Prompt me to get up from wherever I am and look.

Look for the sun. For the light. For the leaves. For the change. For you.

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Inspired by the end of Job and the beginning of the book of Psalms. Day by day spending time with God’s words.