By Ashlie Miller
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” so says Anne Shirley, the spirited protagonist of Anne of Green Gables. I quite agree with her and hang decor with that quote in my dining room this time of year. There is so much to love about it if I make time to take note. Realistically, though, it is easy to become entirely wrapped up in the season’s opportunities, and overlook other gifts of the season.
Acorns are drawing my eye of late – oversized or diminutive nuts; scaly, smooth, or even hairy caps like jaunty hats; varying shades of green and brown. I usually snatch up a few the squirrels have missed to add whimsy to our homeschool table.
Isn’t it interesting how our eyes are drawn to notice particular things? When I look for something specific (sharks’ teeth or sea biscuits) while beach-combing, that’s all I can see, undoubtedly overlooking many other treasures.
Zoning in with intent to notice applies to more than nature walks.
Lately, I have been teaching ladies a class at a local YMCA on how to hear from God, based on the acronym HEAR: Highlighting, Explaining, Applying, and Responding to God’s Word as we read it. Most of us want to rush immediately to application, and if we do, we miss a vital part of learning.
Properly highlighting passages doesn’t get as much instruction as it should. Just look at any student’s textbook! When reading the Bible, we often rush to highlight an entire verse. Or maybe we feel guilty for not underlining a whole chapter when Jesus is speaking in one of the gospels.
Recently, my son and I road-tripped through the mountains in NC, Virginia, and West Virginia. Rushing around curves invites vertigo. Blazing through any part of a road trip can ruin it! You can miss details and beauty, make mistakes, or end up in a mess. Slow your roll! We should approach reading the Bible with a similar, slower pace.
What phrases am I overlooking? Do I see a pattern of words? What contrasts do I notice? Who is speaking? Who is the audience? Does the setting affect what I am reading?
Taking time to notice is important in our relationships, too. We’ve all heard that many of us listen to speak, not to hear, when engaged in a conversation. We may walk away feeling good about what we shared, but do we really know more about the person who shared with us? Are we surprised when we discover a friend or loved one is hurting or in trouble and has been for some time? Perhaps they were giving cues (verbal or otherwise), and we were too distracted to notice.
Noticing is foundational to enjoying what is around us, understanding what we believe, and knowing and loving others. It is often an overlooked art. We miss many details and beauty, make mistakes, and end up in a mess when we aren’t careful.
How can we better make time to take note in this busy season of life?
