Hearing birdsong again, for the first time

Children are much more adept at living in the present moment than adults. They’re constantly experiencing new things, new sensations, new wonders. As we grow older, we become desensitized to the things that also once brought us such joy and amazement. Sights, sounds, feelings, and experiences become commonplace and no longer have the same effect. As a result, we also lose the ability to connect with God through God’s creation.

Mindfulness helps us to reestablish that connection.

My primary prayer/meditation spot in the morning is an area in my home office with several windows. I’m usually up before dawn, before the rest of the world is stirring. Today was a bit different. The sun was up when I began my centering prayer practice, and I was a bit frustrated to be behind my general schedule (a slightly anal retentive personality quirk, but I’m getting better).

Part of centering prayer is to recognize our thoughts, but not to dwell on them; acknowledging them, letting them go, and returning gently to God’s presence. Something happened today, though, that kept me in my thoughts, and I didn’t want to let it go.

I heard birdsong.

Unless I’ve just never noticed it before, birds aren’t singing before dawn. Today, it was a chorus, and it was incredible. I sat for several minutes just listening. It was peaceful. It was wondrous. It was a sound I hadn’t recognized or appreciated probably since my age was single digits. I was gifted with experiencing the presence of God through God’s creation. It was a call back to simplicity, to the everyday, overlooked amazements so readily available to us all.

Mindfulness is about opening, or reopening, our senses in the present moment; to be aware, to be present. It is a gift of God’s grace that reawakens our connectedness to the Creator.

What can you listen for today? What sounds might you hear that have gone unnoticed for years? How might God be speaking to you through creation or even the everyday sounds of your home, school, or work environment. Just listen.

Blessings,

Rev. Jerry