Hi Friends,
I’ve missed talking with you!
I write this as I sit in Jury Duty, juror ID and all. I must say, as much as this tends to be such a dreaded commitment, I am enjoying getting to people watch. There are so many different types of people and each one reacts and interacts, in their own unique way. I remember a few years ago, my grandmother took a train down from the north all the way to my home here in the south and when she arrived, she spent a great time describing all the different people she saw. She enlightened me on how much you can learn from being silent and observing. My favorite of her observations was of this particular gentleman who wore a top hat and had a cane.
It is often through quietness and observation that one learns. I have spent most of my life being known as the shy girl who doesn’t talk. Not my favorite way to be defined, I must admit. However, in reality, while people saw what they thought was the shy girl who stood against the wall at parties and group events instead of chatting it up and being a social butterfly, I was, in fact, the happy girl who actually enjoyed taking a step back to take everything in. Even today, people will be shocked that I can remember so much about them. From even the tiny random things such as their favorite drink, what color shirt they wore two weeks ago, to the time they were born, etc. Aside from the freakishly good memory that likes to capture random yet very specific information ( I often quote Monk saying, “It’s a blessing and a curse” ), years of observation and people watching tend to heighten my senses to remember the random bits that can be easily forgotten.
I often think that if this is the case with normal everyday surroundings, how much more valuable would this be when reading the Bible? It can be so easy to become wrapped up in our insane lives that are always go, go, go, and forget to set aside the time to really study the Word of God. What if, instead of the normal quick skim through, we approached it with time? With the intent to observe and learn the whole story, big details to little. Imagine how much more interested we would be, how much we would be able to help others, and closer to God we might feel?
Last year I had to read a book for a class that one of the professors wrote called Listening in a Loud World by Robert C. Jr. Shippey. This book opened my eyes to a whole new way of listening to God and being still in Him, and I honestly really enjoyed it. It’s a pretty quick read, and I totally recommend it. This quote by Shippey, “In an age that puts emphasis on entertainment and constant stimulation, there remains, as was true for Elijah, a need to hear the still quiet voice of God (1 Kings 19:12)” (Shippey 36) encourages and reminds me to seek God’s voice among the craziness of each day.
So today, dear friends, whether you are the bubbly, outgoing one, or the turtle in its shell, be confident in who you are and take time to be still, listen, and observe. Whip out those people-watching skills and go bless a friend by surprising them with their favorite drink from Starbucks that they didn’t even know you noticed. Set aside the time to be quiet and listen to the Lord and be still and know He is God.
P.S next time you want to sharpen your observation skills, watch psych and see if you can find the pineapple in each episode, and then go quiz yourself on how many hats are in the room. 🍍
Hugs,
Em
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