Pay attention…Pay
attention. That is all you have to do.
Never, for an instant,
leave off paying attention
~Thornton Wilder~
Whenever I think of noticing and paying attention, I think of Moses who noticed the nearby mysterious flaming bush. He did more than notice, however. He said, “I’ll go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up” (Exodus 3:3). When he paid attention, God spoke to him about the plight of the Hebrews’ brutal slavery in Egypt. God was commissioning him to go and deliver them.
It’s
one thing to notice something, but another to pay attention.
Noticing
means we see something, maybe unusual, or striking, or impressive, as Moses did.
Paying attention means we take a second look. God draws our attention to both
immense burning bushes and tiny flames that continue to burn in our spirits,
flames of something God wants us to do and be.
These last few weeks the concept of paying attention has come up so often that it’s become my word of the month. Comments in books and blog posts, and mental reminders seemed to recur wherever I looked.
Scripture kept popping out at me.
“We must pay the most careful attention,
therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” Hebrews 2:1
“Look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you” Ezekiel 44:5.
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and
perfecter of faith” Hebrews 12:2
Noticing and paying attention are important to both our spiritual and writing lives, as my examples below illustrate.
Spiritual
Among other things, God is impressing on me to listen carefully to the Spirit’s still small voice. He’s calling me to intercede more intentionally for my family and others. Often this comes through Scripture that pops out at me. As I pray that verse back to God as a “Scripture Prayer”, I know I am praying according to God’s intentions.
Writing
Some of my early writing lacked close attention to sensory impressions and to the people and world around me. It became true that vagueness in the writer causes confusion in the reader. Paying closer attention has taught me to be a better writer.
* * *
If what you notice is strong, it is significant. Trust it. If it remains in your mind, mull it over. Write about it. Find a meaning to it. Julia Cameron wisely said that “the audience we require is our own loving attention.”
Keep this Book of the
Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be
careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful.
Joshua 1:8
Thank you, dear Sandi, for this thoughtful and inspiring post. I love the quotes and Bible verses you shared. They're perfect.
ReplyDeleteNoticing and paying attention are so important for our faith life, family life, and creativity.
Blessings.
Thanks, Wendy, for your comment. Alertness has such value in all of life.
Delete"It’s one thing to notice something, but another to pay attention." Strong stuff, Sandi! I'm standing at attention because of it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracy! For sure there's a world of difference between the two!
DeleteHi Sandi! Thank you for sharing your insights and how we can grow as writers if we pay attention. I heard you loud and clear when you stated, "vagueness in the writer causes confusion in the reader. Paying closer attention has taught me to be a better writer." I'm taking this nugget of wisdom and keeping it close.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alan! Paying close attention is a discipline that we develop all through our lives and writing.
DeleteLove this. I had never previously paid attention to how Moses needed to pay attention (rather than just notice) and go over to the burning bush before God could guide him. I wonder how many signals I've missed because I've just noticed them, rather than paid attention. I'm glad we serve a gracious God, but your post encourages me to think about the state of my life. Does it allow time and mental space for investigating "strange sights," for example? Or am I so busy and scheduled that I can only notice briefly before racing on?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle. I totally agree it's so easy to just notice and then move on. But God is faithful to teach me, and I pray He will prompt you to take a second look.
DeleteLove this post, Sandi. My husband, Dallas always says his first rule is to pay attention. And I agree that noticing and paying attention are two different things. Also love your intentional scripture prayers. What could be better than praying God’s word. Thank you so much for this post that gave me pause and made me think.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon, for your kind words. Dallas was right. Look at all the important details we miss, the disasters we could encounter, and the joys of life if we go beyond noticing and pay attention!
DeleteA powerful post, Sandi. I had never before thought of the distinction between noticing and paying attention. They are very different. The verses you've included here are very apt. This post also reminds me of some lines of Mary Oliver. "Instructions for living a life: / Pay attention. / Be astonished. / Tell about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lorrie. Those lines from Mary Oliver are wonderful. I'll add them to my roster.
DeleteThere is so much to mull in this thought provoking post, Sandi. It's one to revisit a few times. Two things pop out for me:
ReplyDelete1. The line "...vagueness in the writer causes confusion in the reader." That is so true; it's an area I've been working on for myself in this season. I was glad to come upon your comment.
2. I loved these lines: "If what you notice is strong, it is significant. Trust it. If it remains in your mind, mull it over. . . . Julia Cameron wisely said that “the audience we require is our own loving attention.”
Thanks so much, Sandi.
Thanks for your kind words, Brenda. So glad you're working on clarity in your writing. And yes, paying attention to something means to mull it over and over. Which we as writers do!
Delete