We realize that being spiritual means being alive to the natural world around us—to really see it, hear it, taste it, and know its smells and feel it on our bodies, as well as in our heads. Our senses are a huge gift from God to us, and we don’t want to squander them by experiencing the world second-hand or half-heartedly. We don’t want to waste this “one wild and precious life,” as the poet Mary Oliver says. So pay attention! And remember to let God know how much you appreciate this beautiful world.
This message is adapted from “Idle and Blessed” written by Kate Sprutta Elliott in the July/August 2001 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.