“Looking without seeing is a symptom of a deeper problem that psychologists call ‘inattentional blindness.’ It’s missing the forest for the trees. It’s failing to see what is hidden in plain sight. . . . We turn a blind eye to the everyday miracles that surround us. It’s not intentional, but that doesn’t make it any less harmful. The miracle of life is lost on us. So is the God of miracles.”- Mark Batterson
“He determines the number of starts and calls them by name.”- Psalm 147:4 (NIV)
In Chapter 1 (“Count the Stars”) of A Million Little Miracles, Mark Batterson with an account from the life of John Muir. In 1874, while Muir stayed at a cabin nestled in the Sierra Nevada, a storm whipped through the valley. Rather than seeking shelter, Muir located the tallest cluster of Douglas fir trees he could find. Next, Muir climbed to the top of one of those trees and held on for dear life.
Most significantly, Eugene Peterson referenced that moment as an icon of Christian spirituality. Specifically, he called that moment a “stunning rebuke against becoming a mere spectator to life, preferring creature comforts to Creator confrontations.”
So, Pastor Batterson asks, do you find yourself a mere spectator to life? As a result, do you prefer creature comforts to Creator confrontations? Do you choose to settle for creation or seek the Creator Himself?
Consequently, Mark talks about a hidden tax on modern life:
“I’m grateful for the comfort and convenience of modern life, but there is a hidden tax. When we lose touch with nature, we lose touch with nature’s God. . . . If we aren’t careful, we’ll fall victim to the numbing effect Robert Michael Pyle called the ‘extinction of experience.’ We’ll stop climbing trees. We’ll become mere spectators to life . . . settle for creature comforts.”
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson exhorts, you never need to go far to find a million little miracles. Simply go on a two-foot field trip. Walk outside, then count the stars.
Today’s question: What little miracles have you found hidden in plain sight? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A two-foot field trip”