Prayer and Reflection at the Window
When I think of myself as a kid, one image that comes to mind is me lying on the couch or looking out the window, daydreaming. I don't remember most of what I thought about; I don't think it really matters. I was observing. Resting. Reflecting the way kids do. Most kids find time for this in one way or another — through art or lego building, riding their bike, or playing basketball on the driveway. It’s as we get older that we lose the time and patience for it, turning rest and reflection into another thing on our to-do list.
My spiritual director says that we all need to make time for the spiritual practice of “gazing out the window.” When I heard this, I was immediately taken back to my childhood. Taking her seriously, I turned a chair that had been stuck in the corner of my bedroom for years to face the window. And with the change, I began to read and work and sit and be in that chair more often — looking out and observing life on the other side.
Soon a woodpecker showed up and I couldn't believe something that seemed so wild would be in my yard. I’d been out there thousands of times but had never noticed one before. And now I was seeing it every day. The woodpecker then led to a bird feeder, hoping to attract other birds. Slowly a basket appeared, and inside: a local bird guide, binoculars, and a small journal to write down the different species dropping by — Carolina chickadees, Lesser Goldfinches, Robins, Cardinals, and so many more.
Becoming a person who observes and notices birds began to change something in me that I wasn’t expecting. Noticing is leading to a new way of being. A way of seeing that is a little slower and a little less productive. I’ve had other practices over the years that I’ve used to help slow me down — yoga, baking sourdough bread, teaching a child to read — but they have each had productivity or an outcome attached. While these practices require your patience and willingness to move slowly, none require what birdwatching requires — to make space for and peace with non-productive time.
I hope that this email will become the overflow of this new way. In this space, you’ll find my thoughts and observations and learn how making time for prayer and reflection at the window is changing me one winged visitor at a time. This email is also an invitation to find your own sacred way to make space for and peace with time to just be. I hope you’ll join in the conversation.
A few things for you:
The Slow Way newsletter. Micah Boyett is one of my favorite authors and sends a weekly email “for all the weary achievers searching for rest.” I can’t recommend her work enough!
Guides by Quick Reference Publishing - We love these guides and have many for Central Texas, including guides for Birds, Rocks, and Butterflies. They’re great for throwing in your backpack (or basket by the window) and for little hands to discover nature.
Dimming the Day: Evening Meditations for Quiet Wonder - this book of meditations by Jennifer Grant engages stories from the natural world. The essays calm our souls and bodies, reminding us of our connectedness to creation and the importance of rest.