Without Eyes

Many of my ideas for this blog come while I walk to and from my house. I always try and forget how long I have to go or how tired I am, and let my thoughts take over. Recently, I have walked this path so many times I have challenged myself in taking as many steps as possible with my eyes closed. I have slowly progressed and now I can take 20 steps with only my ears and feet to guide me. Without eyes, my other senses take over.

Since it was an unusual experience (I get enjoyment out of many random things), I decided to go without eyes again, this time at a park. I did not move, but I tried to recall my surroundings by the sounds I heard. Do you know how many different sounds you can hear in a park?

I heard some kids laughter, a bus rumbling by, the creak of the swings, the rustle of the leaves, the whisper of insects feet. The longer I sat there, the more attuned I became to the input in my ears, and it felt I was experiencing a brand new world.

I often hear people talk about the beauty of creation and how creative our God is, which is true. But God's creation is not just taken in with our eyes. It is breathed in, it is heard, it is experienced, it is felt. The beauty of the world is for all our senses, and I am hoping I can come to appreciate every single one.

God Still Speaks

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, the guy who had to announce destruction on nearly everyone around him, the man who was rejected by his own countrymen, living with God as his only companion for 40 odd years. He did God's will and suffered for it.

Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, the guy who wrote half the New Testament, the man who sacrificed everything for the people he preached the gospel to, so they would be saved. He did God's will and suffered for it.

Two people from the bible I have learnt more about this week, and I can't help thinking that God seemed to be so much more powerful and obvious in his actions than in this modern age. Jeremiah gets his lips touched by God's hands, Paul meets Jesus face to face, I get nothing.

I was wrong.

God still speaks as clearly as ever. He calls me just like he did Jeremiah. He gives me strength just like he did to Paul. And I have a great privilege they never had. God's word, written down, easily accessible, readily understood (maybe with some help, but still...)

So why am I still unsatisfied? Looking back at Jeremiah and Paul, I see another difference between them and me. They, knowing they would suffer for it, lived their lives in line with God's will.

So I need to pray, and maybe you need to pray too, that we can continually switch our will for Gods will, and remember that God still works as much as ever today as he did the first day. Continually renewing, strengthening and saving his creation.