“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” – Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV

God finds unexpected ways to get your attention, and if you are willing, your awareness Divine presence will teach you everything.

The morning was fairly routine. There were a number of things on my “to-do” list, but I began with some time alone with God on our front porch. It’s become a bit of sacred space for me as I enter God’s presence to the sound of birdsong, roosters crowing, and squirrels chattering. I even get some of nature’s visitors who join me for devotions. I love reflecting on Scripture and praying in the stillness of this serene environment.

This morning, God’s inroad was going to be different. It seemed like every other morning, but I struggled to stay focused. The list of things I needed to do kept creeping into my thoughts and I would need to re-center. Then came the noise. It was not a loud noise, just a persistent, rhythmic squeaking. I thought it might be the neighbor’s chickens at first, but it was too uniform and constant. Honestly, in my distracted state, it was annoying.

Looking up from my prayers, I found the source. A lone child on our church playground was fully enjoying one of our swings. I thought, “this can’t last much longer,” but it did. I was about to abandon my devotional time and launch into work, when I realized God was speaking, and speaking through the noise of a swing. While I was busy seeking some deep insight, this precious child of God was embracing pure joy. It was as if God kept saying, “Quit trying so hard, and savor my presence.” So I did, and it was far better than what I planned.

We can get caught in our efforts, however well-intentioned, and miss the revelation meant for us. God is always speaking to us, sometimes in ways we don’t expect and may not be listening to. If we will remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit, our senses will be heightened to recognize when something ordinary is anything but that.

Just as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we need the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened so that we can see God’s revelation. It may not be a child or a swing set, but God invites us to live with eyes of wonder to see, and experience, the joy of the Lord. We need our spiritual disciplines, including reading the Bible and prayer, but we will also benefit from open hearts to hear what God is saying to us through the world around us. While that revelation will never oppose the Word of God, it will help us discover a deeper awareness of God’s word to us.

Today, may the Spirit help us remain open, attentive, and receptive to what God is saying to us through all of life.

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Life is full of unexpected blessings which we can savor if we are willing to open our spiritual eyes and be attentive to what is happening within us as well as around us. Even in challenging circumstances, there are windows of beauty and reasons for thanksgiving. Jesus told his disciples that he would be with them always, even to the end of the world. Such knowledge is itself, an unexpected blessing.

These blessings are all around us, but they require attentiveness to see them. Certainly, some blessings are so large, so obvious, that we cannot help but perceive them. The majority, however, do not shout for our attention. They enter our lives unannounced and often pass by with no acknowledgement, leaving us unable to rejoice in thanksgiving for another divine gift.

So, how do we position ourselves to taken more of these blessings? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Slow down – everything around us in our culture, encourages us to live at a frenetic pace that makes it difficult to take in much of anything. Over-full schedules leave little room for anything else. Slowing down, even a little, gives our minds and spirits room to breathe in the goodness of God.

2. Make time to reflect – Along with a slower pace, scheduling time to pause and reflect, allows us to examine our lives for hidden blessings. Making this choice may be a hidden blessing in itself and will certainly give us intentional moments to appreciate things we would otherwise miss.

3. Live in the present – This is my favorite, and I believe the most beneficial. Too often our minds are on thing in our past, or concerns for our future. Our thoughts and attention is focused on another time than the time we are living. This kind of distraction is amazingly stressful and nearly prevents us from seeing the blessings that are happening all around us. The past is just that, past, and the future will be there when we get there, but this moment is where we are and we will never have it again. If we live in the moment we are in, there will be so much more to appreciate, and we will be more free to do just that.

Here’s to the awesome gift of hidden blessings waiting to be discovered. May God grant us the grace to find more and more.

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