Sleepwalking
“Open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.” –Clara H. Scott
This weekend I had a chance to do a couple of programs at the 20th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Thursday night Ken Jenkins and I did a program called “The Spiritual Side of Nature.” The presentation was well-attended and warmly received.
During Ken’s portion of the program he used an interesting analogy to describe certain people. He noted how those who sleepwalk move about while asleep but do not really see what’s going on around them. Ken then indicated that many people move about day to day but remain blind to the wonders of God’s Creation all around them. Such people are guilty of a different kind of sleepwalking.
I have known Ken eighteen years and can honestly say that I do not know anyone who is more “awake” when it comes to seeing and experiencing God in Creation. Although his photography business is based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Ken has a ministry that takes him all across the country. In his programs he shows wildlife and landscape images he has taken and draws incredible spiritual truths from them.
Knowing that not all of you will be able to hear Ken speak I want to commend to you his recent publication Nature is the Art of God: A Journey Into the Beauty and Wonder of Creation. It is one of the most beautiful photographic devotional essays I’ve ever seen. You can order copies from Ken’s website: www.kenjenkins.com.
Listening to Ken’s presentation Thursday night, and then looking at his new book, has made me want to do a better job of seeing God in Creation. I think I do a decent job of seeing the obvious but know that there are folks like Ken who see so much more. How can I improve my vision? I suspect I should begin by asking God to “open my eyes” so that I might see more and then, with His help, try to discipline myself to slow down and really pay attention. I plan to do this because I really do not want to be guilty of being a “sleepwalker.” How about you?
–Chuck
(The image above was taken at Morton Overlook a number of years ago in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.)