One of the things that Joleen and I have noticed as much as anything else in the 14.5 months that Ethan has been with us is that, because he is so observant, we have to pay attention to everything — the sound of the car driving by outside, sirens, the fan that comes on in another room, the airplane or helicopter that flies overhead, the hooting of owls, ceiling fans everywhere, etc. Whenever Ethan hears something, we have to be ready when he points and asks, “What’s that?”
Paying attention is a good discipline to (re)develop, really. As we age, one of the things that happens is that we learn to tune out the things we’ve gotten accustomed to hearing and seeing over and over. But children help us see things with fresh eyes and hear things with fresh ears.
This happens in our spiritual lives, too. The longer we walk with God, the greater the temptation to tune out the ordinary, everyday experiences of God’s grace. They use to be so fresh and exciting, and if we’re not careful, we can stop seeing and hearing them. It is as if they no longer exist.
Where are God’s blessings in your life today? As Ethan would say, “What’s that?” Do you hear it? Do you see it?