Pay Attention

 “One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God,^* listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.” Acts of the Apostles 16:14

Pay Attention. From softball games to beer gardens, I am reminded that God sends people into our lives, and we need to “open our hearts to pay attention.” For his final this year, I had a student write about the people God had placed in his path so that he could graduate. He wrote about how he finally listened and could “lock in.” His concluding prayer was to ask God to continue to put people in his path. At the softball game, I listened. I found offense in the dugout chants of the opposing team. I was proud of my team's sportsmanship. I took my grandson to his first softball game and taught him how to cheer. His enthusiasm was great! Sitting at a beer garden, being outside with family and friends, does the soul wonders. The importance is listening to the rhythm of your spiritual self. Pay attention to all that surrounds you, but mostly to what is going on inside, to find God speaking to you through nature and others on the path…