what we see

A few years ago I worked on a Summer camp for gifted & talented children.

One of the great things about that camp was the diversity of people I was working with. There was one particular girl who sticks in my mind. Abi. She was gently spoken, she loved Jesus, was very beautiful and was a talented artist.  

When we were given a day off, we were paired up with someone else, so we would have some company. I was fortunate enough to be paired with Abi. We decided to pay a visit to Canterbury Cathedral. Even though I had spent my life living very close to Canterbury, I realised that I had never really seen the Cathedral. While I had walked past it many, many times, I had always been aware of how many tourists flocked to visit it, and didn't really think twice about going inside myself.

On our visit, I saw the Cathedral through new eyes, not just because I was there to appreciate its beauty rather than just passing it by, but because I was with Abi. What struck me was the way that she saw details. In an enormous Cathedral, rather than being overwhelmed by the grandeur, Abi marvelled at the beauty & intricacy in the smallest details. She looked on and considered the immense workmanship behind the architecture and wondered aloud how long it would have taken the architects & builders to create all of the minute features that come together to make up the comprehensive expanse of the Cathedral. Abi noticed everything that I did not. She drew my attention to the little nooks & crannies, and I loved how she was helping me to see the Cathedral in a new light.

Today, I went for a walk to take a break from studying, and I remembered this trip to the Cathedral with Abi. On a day where the sky is grey and the sun is nowhere to be seen, the world can look a little drab. But rather than being deterred by this, I went out with excitement about finding the small details that I so often miss when I walk without really looking at my surroundings. Amidst the grey, I found sprinklings of colour - from the pale pink house on the corner to the bright red tea towel & silver saucepan that happened to be sitting on someone's front wall. It's surprising what we see when we take the time to look. I even saw some little signs that Spring is on its way.

Tiny hints of colour coming through

 

A tree trunk that I fell in love with for its incredible colours & textures

It was so refreshing to take the time to notice my surroundings rather than letting them pass me by because I am too busy thinking about my destination rather than the journey.