In the Introduction (“Short Flights and Quick Returns”) of his book The Attentive Life: Discerning God’s Presence in All Things, Leighton Ford states that he has come to realize that now is the time to pay more attention to our own hearts and deepen our friendship with God. Just as his deepest longing is to come home to his own heart, Leighton believes all of our stories are of longing and looking.
This leads to Mr. Ford’s stated purpose for this book:
“This book is about attentiveness, not simply as a path to self-fulfillment but as the very essence of our journey to the Center, as the way home to our own heart, the way of making our heart a home for God.”
Specifically, the author asserts that we need to assess “where our inner and outer selves disconnect and where they need to come together in a beautiful pattern that reflects Jesus.” It’s important to emphasize that paying attention isn’t a way to make something happen, but a way to discern what God already has given us. Mr. Ford suggests that we start our journey with a simple prayer: “Lord, show me what I am missing.” Then we simply need to wait to see what He shows us!
Today’s question: What methods have you found effective for increasing your attentiveness to Jesus? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Chronos and kairos”
