I sit here with the fall sun on my face I close my eyes to feel its warmth
the fall breeze moves through my hair and I close my eyes to feel its touch
I watch the fall leaves glide to the ground and I close my eyes to here the sound
I sip a special fall blend of coffee; I close my eyes to enjoy the taste of the season
Although fall is beautiful and strongly proven through the lens of you’re eyes capturing the changing color of the leaves
You feel it even more strongly inside when you close your eyes and receive
When you remove your ability to see the result is that your other senses become stronger. You can feel more intensely and smell with a new level of depth. You hear the world around you with an even more vibrant frequency and your taste without the judgments of first seeing. Without the sensory overload of colors bursting into shapes and the world around you moving and molding your daily experience through the window of your eyes you would have to learn to really one something less tangible. I felt fall, not just because I know that is the season I happen to be in but also because I chose to close my eyes and feel it. It was the most beautiful fall day. This was the day after thanksgiving. The world had slowed down for the holiday weekend and for the hopes that people would take the time to look around them and feel thankful. I did, I sat outside on my father in laws back porch and I closed my eyes. I could have sat out there all day, but not long after my husband brought out our baby who was “wondering where I was” such a quizzical 4 month old I have my hands on. But just that moment was enough for me to come up with a metaphorical creation in the form of poetry. You see most of what I know to be true about God and my relationship with him relies heavily on my senses. And to a lot of people that simply isn’t enough. But to me that is more proof than anything. That without seeing I can feel, taste, touch, hear, smell. And through all of those avenues I know that I have a Father in heaven that is piecing together my life in all these phases of sensory experiences through him. I have an example for all of them. Ask me later about the smell that might be the hardest to believe.
And that is not enough for you, so let me tell you of what I can see. Like the changing colors of the leaves in the fall that is noticeable to all, I can see my husband changing everyday. I saw with my own eyes him soften after one of life’s biggest heartbreaks. I see my brother who has hit a rough patch rise above his circumstances and begin to become the man that he is suppose to be. I see my sister overcome poor self image and stand confidently in front of many. I see my mom choose everyday to love selflessly because she is filled with the love of God. I could go on and on about things I’ve seen. The pinnacle and the last thing I would ever have to see to believe was the air being breathed by my baby Charlize. I gazed upon her as they laid her across my chest and I knew God was there with us.
And you may not see those things as God activity but I know well enough that most people don’t just “get Better” on accident. I have experienced so much in life that would lead me to understand that life isn’t always great and people can be worse but GOD!
But to really experience him you just might have to close your eyes. You just might have to let go of the things that you can prove through sight. And let yourself FEEL, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE and maybe then you will “see” things the way I do. And trust me experiencing the presence of God is better than a fall breeze, I don’t care how basic you are.
