I recently read The Noticer by Andy Andrews, and I absolutely loved it! The main character is an old man who calls himself a "noticer." His gift is in noticing the details and helping people get a new perspective on their lives.
The Noticer asks a man this question: If there are five seagulls sitting on a pier, and one of them decides to fly away, how many are left? The man (and most of us, probably) answered "four." But that's not the correct answer. There are still five seagulls. That seagull can decide to fly away, can think about flying away, can talk to his friends about how great it is to fly, and can make plans to fly away, but until he actually takes flight, he's no different than the others. Too many times I've decided to make a change, but my good intentions haven't gotten me anywhere. How 'bout you?
What a gift it is to be a noticer! So many of us go through life with blinders on, oblivious to everything that doesn't directly concern us. The great thing is, this gift of being a noticer is not something we're either born with or not; we can become noticers! I want to be a noticer. I want to pay attention to the details in life, to all the things--big and small--that the Lord is doing in my life and the lives of those around me. I want to notice when a friend isn't herself and needs to talk. I want to notice how my husband responds to the things I do or say so that I can become more of an encourager to him. I don't want to miss all the miracles that happen every day. Those apple blossoms that just opened? How did they know exactly when to blossom? It's a miracle, and I'm glad I noticed!
The Noticer asks a man this question: If there are five seagulls sitting on a pier, and one of them decides to fly away, how many are left? The man (and most of us, probably) answered "four." But that's not the correct answer. There are still five seagulls. That seagull can decide to fly away, can think about flying away, can talk to his friends about how great it is to fly, and can make plans to fly away, but until he actually takes flight, he's no different than the others. Too many times I've decided to make a change, but my good intentions haven't gotten me anywhere. How 'bout you?
What a gift it is to be a noticer! So many of us go through life with blinders on, oblivious to everything that doesn't directly concern us. The great thing is, this gift of being a noticer is not something we're either born with or not; we can become noticers! I want to be a noticer. I want to pay attention to the details in life, to all the things--big and small--that the Lord is doing in my life and the lives of those around me. I want to notice when a friend isn't herself and needs to talk. I want to notice how my husband responds to the things I do or say so that I can become more of an encourager to him. I don't want to miss all the miracles that happen every day. Those apple blossoms that just opened? How did they know exactly when to blossom? It's a miracle, and I'm glad I noticed!
Hmm... this sounds suspiciously like living intentionally--something I am striving to do, but still learning. Like the Noticer in this story, I want to plant seeds in the lives of others--and then stand back and notice how God makes those seeds grow (1 Cor. 3:6-9).
