How This One Simple Habit Nourishes Your Soul

I walk past it and drive by it all the time, without a second thought. But on a recent walk, I slowed down enough to actually pay attention to the little vineyard in my neighborhood.
 

This is something we are becoming increasingly bad at, isn’t it? Paying attention? We rush through our day, checking off items on our to-do list,  but fail to notice the beauty and the meaning in our surroundings.
 
I’m pretty bad about that, but on this particular day, I let my eyes drink in the natural beauty before me and pondered its significance.
 
I was amazed at how much insight came from this one simple act.
 
I’ll go so far as to say I heard some specific things from God, all from just looking at a few grapevines. Here’s what came to me:
 

1. God is the Keeper of the vineyard. In Isaiah 5:1-2, the prophet paints a poignant word picture describing the Lord as the one who tends and cultivates his people. He clears things out, he builds things up, he makes the whole operation run. This is what God does for our souls.
2. You must abide in the Vine. In John 15, Jesus tells his disciples to abide in the vine; that they cannot bear fruit unless they receive life constantly from the source. This indicates ongoing connection with, and dependence upon, Christ.
3. Little foxes can spoil the vines.  Song of Solomon 2:15 gives a warning to “catch the little foxes” that can spoil the vines. Some scholars interpret this as the need for a married couple to deal with the small issues that could ultimately ruin their relationship. (It’s the little things can spoil any relationship, really.)
4. Good wine takes time. Wine-making is a process that cannot be rushed. Certain steps must be taken, but ultimately, only time creates the right taste experience. So it is with life. You can’t rush things like character building, healing from the past, gaining wisdom– the really important stuff takes time.

Not a bad download for just a few moments of reflection, right? And to think I might have missed it in the typical hurry to cross off my to-do list!
 
Here’s the thing: We have become really good at gathering lots of information, but we are in danger of losing the art of deep reflection.
 

 
The constant atcha-atcha world of social media plays right into the American drug of choice — busyness. Our attention is scattered,  and this threatens our ability to think deeply and nourish our souls.
 
But God hasn’t changed. His world is still beautiful and full of meaning. He still lives outside of time.
 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. — Hebrews 13:8

 
Despite our culture’s emphasis on achievement, production, and efficiency, we still have a choice. We can quiet ourselves, focus on the world around us, and ask deep questions.
 
If we don’t, our souls will suffer.
 
So I hope to keep up this habit of noticing beauty and meaning. I want to allow myself to be arrested by the lessons and word pictures that creation provides.
 
I want to continue nourishing my soul by means of slowing down, paying attention, and thinking deeply.
 
When did you last take a moment to reflect on the meaning of something God made?
 
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