The Burning Bushes

It is not always easy to speak of seeing what cannot be seen, or hearing what is not being spoken, but those who attest to such experiences stand with a long line of folks who have learned to hear with more than ears and to see with more than eyes.  We tend to think that such folks are the mystics among us and while some may fit into such a category, it is also a spiritual phenomena which describes a host of ordinary folks like each one of us.  It is not that extra ears and eyes are grown, but instead that the senses are sharpened by the discipline of paying attention to the present moment.    

It is a difficult discipline for most of us.  Getting focused and staying focused on the present moment seems impossible when we find ourselves always thinking about getting through tomorrow and tomorrow's difficulties.  What is ahead often grabs us with the force of a snapping turtle who has no intention of turning lose.  Even though we know the Word tells us,  "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today's trouble  is enough for today,"  (Matthew 6:34)  we still find it easy to carry a load not yet come. 

Seeing, hearing, and knowing what can only be experienced through the senses of the soul requires being comfortable with ourselves, learning to be at ease minus the noise and activity, and an expectation that the God of creation is on the edge of what is not yet visible.  The presence for which we go searching requires no searching for the One whom we seek is always present in the burning bushes which are all around us.