Great Show, God!

On my other blog yesterday, I wrote this post about paying attention to our surroundings, about being fully present. I wrote: "I'm in an office 40 hours a week, which cuts down on my exploring time. Still, I try to remember to pay attention. Yesterday, as I exited a stairwell, I looked up into the deepest blue sky, a sky intercut by the view of the top of the glass building and palm fronds. I felt my rib cage open up, and I stood there for a few minutes, watching some fluffy clouds float by."

I'd like to do more of that kind of paying attention. I'm interested in the prayerful, meditative mood that an intentional stance of paying attention could motivate in me. I'm interested in the gratitude that my paying attention inspires in me.

I spend a lot of time in my desk chair, with only a glimpse of sky and some foliage growing on the terrace. I need to get out of my chair more, go out onto the terrace, see what's blooming.

When I was in college, one of my older friends told me about her kids, who when they saw a great sunset, would shout, "Great show, God!" I thought it was a wonderful response.

I need to do more of that kind of shouting, even if I just do it silently--although the thought of how people at work would react if I said it out loud is interesting to ponder. I'm an artist, and it makes me happy when people appreciate my work. I'd like to show more appreciation to the supreme artist of us all.

My summer resolution: at least once a day to say, "Great show, God!"