Living in Technicolor
Last weekend my sister-in-law and I went on a retreat together in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m so blessed to be able to spend that special time with her not only in beautiful surroundings but also deepening our relationship with God.
Going on retreat is like food for the soul for me. I am able just to let the noise of daily life go. I can slow down, breathe God’s presence in, and breathe out all the distractions. I met wonderful new people from all walks of life who were open and willing to share their retreat experiences with me which I will cherish.
We arrived a day early to spend some time alone before everyone else arrived. The scenery was breathtaking. As I walked around the grounds the next morning looking at the mountains and the desert foliage, I heard deep in my heart, “Notice Me” and I did. I stopped taking in all the sights and sounds. The full moon was setting while the sun rose slowly pouring its light on everything. The birds were singing, and a soft breeze blew through the air. God was present in all of His creation. What a wonderful way to start my retreat!
The retreat director's theme was to live in the present moment, to be awake to God and what He’s doing in our lives. Essentially, “Notice Me”, that’s what I call a God incident. The director said that being awakened to God was like the movie, The Wizard of Oz. In the beginning of the movie, we see everything in black and white, then after the tornado, the house lands, Dorothy opens the door, and everything is in Technicolor. A bubble floats down towards Dorothy growing larger as it descends until it pops and Glinda, the good witch, appears. She asks Dorothy, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” and we hear little voices laughing. Glinda says they are Munchkins, the people that live in the land. Then Glinda begins to sing, “Come out, come out wherever you are.” He challenged us to be present to God asking Him to "Come out, come out wherever you
I realize that sometimes I sleepwalk through my day, not being awake to God in the present moment. I need to see life in Technicolor. I must intentionally “notice” God in the present, not live in the past of what I should have done, or live in the future of what I need to do. But to live in the here and now; noticing how God is working in my life, and how He uses nature, people, and events to speak to me.
Since I’ve been home, I have found myself singing, “Come out, come out wherever you are.” It was the perfect analogy for me.
Today, let us stop sleepwalking through life and awaken to God in the present moment. Let us see God speaking to us through nature, others, and daily events. Let us stop living in black and white and start living in Technicolor.
