Sitting on the porch recently, resting in the feeling of early fall, I marveled at the colors of the leaves.
I noticed the faint chimes of a distant church playing the melody to Amazing Grace. The color of fall accompanied by a song of grace brought to mind the blessing and goodness of creation.
I think it’s a good practice to be attentive to the commonplace in our natural environment. It is where we are; it is the creation of which we are part and that God entrusts to our care. It is one of the ways we encounter Him.
I recall from elementary school that one of the standard fall art projects was to select a fallen leaf at recess to bring into class. Each of us tried to find a perfect combination of color and shape. The possibilities were limitless! Later in class, we would carefully trace the leaf and color the drawing to reproduce nature’s handiwork. Our nature-inspired art was posted on the walls and changed how we saw our classroom.
I wondered if this standard assignment was still relevant today and asked a third-grade teacher I know, my daughter, whether this was so. I texted the question and immediately got a phone call response with an enthusiastic affirmative. That very day her students had been given the task to collect several different kinds of leaves during recess, do crayon rubbings of each, identify the parts of the leaf, and describe the process that produces the vivid colors of fall.
Learning is about finding new ways of seeing and understanding. Perhaps there are parallels to our prayer.
In our prayer, we seek to understand what the Lord desires of us. In prayer, we try to see things anew – open to His grace. Like listening for chimes on the wind or marveling at nature’s landscape, in prayer, we remain open, listening, sensitive to God’s Holy Spirit teaching us, creating us.
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your kind spirit guide me on ground that is level.” (Psalm 143:10)
We continue to meditate in this Rosary Month on how St. Joseph saw his world and his family in the light of God’s loving presence and saving purpose.
In our family prayer, let us seek to see our world in the light of God’s goodness and blessing.