Paying attention

Today, I was thinking...

I put out some new feeders for my mom to enjoy. She has been living with me since her diagnosis of brain cancer in June, 2009. My mother LOVES birds. Over the years, she was always one of the easiest people to buy for...just get her something related to birds and she was happy. When she came to live with me this past summer, she realized that I had nothing out for her beloved friends. So off we went to the local store and loaded up on feeders and seed and then proceeded to place them outside of our kitchen window and began our wait. I mentioned to mom that I was a little frustrated that the birds had not discovered the feeders yet...and her comment to me was "the birds will come." And guess what? They did come. It just took a few days for them to discover the bountiful array of seeds we had put out for them.

Well, that was 6 months ago, and now mom is confined to a hospital bed. She isn't able to come to the front of the house and sit at the kitchen table to enjoy the birds...so this explains why I was out in the frigid cold today putting up more feeders. I placed them outside of her bedroom window, hoping she would be able to enjoy her precious friends once more. Mom had a friend come to visit her from her hometown today. He asked her if she was enjoying her feeders. I told him that we had just put them out this morning and that the birds had not found them yet. Once again, mom's words in response were "the birds will come."

I began to ponder over these words today and was enlightened by them. Mom is faithful in taking care of her birds...she always places the food there and then waits and waits until they come...and they do come! She is ALWAYS paying attention....and because of her faithfulness to keeping seed in the feeders along with her patient, watchful spirit, she always receives a blessing when the birds flock to her feeders.

The words "pay attention" kept coming to my mind for hours and hours. I thought how I live my life in such a hurry that I most often fail to see what's right there for me to see. I just don't "pay attention." I thought about how mom's illness has helped me to slow down some, but there are so many times that I still keep missing the little things.

I am not one for making resolutions...I think that's usually a sure fire way to fail...but I did think about what I wanted for my life in this upcoming year. I want to PAY ATTENTION! I want to be that faithful person, patient and watchful...so that I do not miss the blessings! They say hindsight is 20/20. I want to have foresight that's close to 20/20...one that is watching for all there is in the day to see and experience....one that is mindful of all those around me so that I can possibly be a part of the blessing that someone else receives...and most of all ALWAYS paying attention. Every minute we live has a purpose! Pay attention and don't miss yours.

Later ~
Cris