Seeing with the eyes of the heart

Changes beget changes.

I didn’t expect to be doing this. My calling was to be a local church pastor.  You may find that odd- do normal people still do stuff like that? (Depends on how you define normal.)  Life changed in unforeseen ways. That’s why I now have the time to write- I was moving too fast before.

Thirty years in different communities, discovering how interesting people can be and what surprising things they have done; discovering more of my own centre, and the diverting experiences that made life so varied. Being a pastor isn’t all about Sundays. Much of my time has been spent on encouraging and managing change in others. Change for others also means change for me.

I have been learning how to see better. When I rushed busily around, I only skimmed the surface- the obvious things. Having been forced to slow down, I am discovering the more I look the more I see.  The more I see, the more I pray. The more I pray, the more I know about myself, about God, and what makes sense.

Look at the photo. An early morning in a misty Norwegian fjord. At first glance, it was a dull and disappointing day. Then I began to look harder- I had the time, nowhere else to be.  The perfect reflection on the mirror-like water, subtle changes of the colours in the soft light,  and the sense of amazing peace. No-one else was up. Work hadn’t started for most of us, and there was no traffic noise. It was almost silent.

Quietness is an invitation to see more deeply.  Time spent “looking” opens the eyes of the heart- and that opens the spirit to the revelation of love and grace that is God.

My hope is that pictures can be worth a thousand words: and with a few chosen words we can explore together so we see, think, and feel more deeply. No longer blinded by busyness… may God open the eyes of my heart.