Learning to Observe

One time when I was in elementary school, an assignment was given to each of us to list 20 observations about an object. I think the object was a rock.  Twenty different observations! All of us kept telling our teacher how hard it was going to be to think of twenty different things to list. I never thought I would be able to complete the task. I looked at the rock and started my list: the rock was gray, had shiny spots scattered throughout it, bumpy on one side, smooth looking on the other side. It was taller on one side than the other, sorta round but not quite, and  had an indentation in one spot. But then observations started slowing down. How could you  come up with 20?!

Everyone in the class was slowing down in this assignment. Then my teacher gave us a suggestion- we should use our other senses besides our eyes! We were allowed to touch the rock, smell the rock, listen to the rock, even lick the rock if we wanted to. 

This idea opened up a whole new avenue and possibilities for our list. The rock now was also rough, smooth on one side, hard, cold before I held it, warmer when I held it in my hand for a time. It smelled like dirt and metal combined. It tasted, well, not yummy. The rock was silent. Well, it was silent until I dropped it on the table and then it made a clinking noise. Once I got over that initial roadblock of expecting myself to run out of descriptions, it was easy to reach 20!

I've been pretty mellow lately and perhaps a bit angry and definitely empathetic towards my job lately. There have been a lot of changes I don't agree with and I've felt walked over. However, I've just been observing at one angle. If I had just started using my other senses and my gut instincts, I'd realize that some people are hurting in my office and some are so insecure they come off as aggressive tyrants in their act to compensate.

After finally noticing these things, which I might add, are not self-seeking (finally) I was sitting in my chair and I thought "Why haven't I been acting as an example of Christ's love towards these people?" But I didn't realize how far I'd strayed until I sat back and forced myself to observe my office's inner workings from multiple senses. No leaping to conclusions or searching for things to perpetuate one's opinions or attitudes- just observations.

So go try it and observe. Wal-Mart is a great place to start!