by Jay Kelly This blog is for days 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 of a month of gratitude.
Homework: Focus on your five senses one day at a time and celebrate with gratitude each of them in a special way. Take some time each day to imagine life without seeing, smelling, touching, tasting or hearing.
Friday, 10/9: Sight. Do you have a friend who is blind? How much time can you spend today with your eyes closed trying to imagine that life? Try getting dressed without sight. Can you brush your teeth and take a shower with your eyes closed. Give thanks and be specific. Consider the importance of visual art and its impact on your daily life. What are your favorite colors and why? You can easily get to a place of deep gratitude for the miracle workings of your eyes.
Saturday, 10/10: Smell. My friend Scott Lewis doesn’t have a sense of smell. They say that smell is the strongest memory trigger of all the senses. When you smell autumn leaves what do you feel? Make a gratitude list of your favorite smells and the memories that they help you experience… mowed grass, rain on pavement, sharpened pencil, coffee, etc.
Sunday, 10/11: Touch. Have you ever experienced a professional massage? The power of touching and being touched is a healing agent and a great gift from God. Researchers say that infants who are held regularly develop far beyond those who are left in their cribs. Touch matters. Try touching the shoulder of those you talk to today. Exchange a neck and shoulder rub with a friend. Give someone a foot massage. If you’re married, get naked and give each other that long overdue full body massage and take your time!
Monday, 10/12: Taste. Food is more than fuel. Food defines our culture, shows our family how much we love them, passes on our traditions, celebrates our holidays. Give God the thanks he deserves for your favorite foods. Why are they special to you? Thank the cooks in your life who’ve prepared them. Cook something special yourself today. Savor each bite of even the most common of snacks as you celebrate this sense today.
Tuesday, 10/13: Hearing. Do you own ear plugs? Try taking some time to experience being deaf. Consider the blessing of music today. What are your favorite types of music? What are your favorite songs from church. If you have a song book take it with you on your prayer walk today and remember those songs from the good old days that moved you so powerfully as a younger Christian. What are your favorite sounds from nature... waves? birds? leaves? Give God specific thanks today for all that you hear moment to moment.
Have fun growing in gratitude these next few days. Hope this helps. I'm going out of town on Rambo Weekend at Deception Pass with the Westside guys. I'll be back and blogging for day 14 of our month of gratitude.
Love you,
-Jay
1 comment:
Closing my eyes for a few minutes at night was interesting. I just walked around the house without any real direction,but, I had my memory to guide me so I felt like I was cheating. I did use the restroom so I just sat down as to not make a mess. heh.
I also know Scott Lewis and have spent alot of time with him. He definately does not smell and it blows me away. A few of the obscured scents I like are gasoline, chlorine, bacon, fresh mowed grass, new car scent, and the list goes on and on. I also like to make my kids at least smell foods that they say they don't like. It is funny to see the reaction they have to smelling something they have never smelled, or even tasted.
I definately have had the full body experience before. Having done triathalons and duathalons in the past the only way I could function the next day was to get a massage right after the race. I even tried acupuncture once. That was a crazy experience. I feel like the acupuncture actually worked. I make every effort to give my kids massage whenever they can keep from laughing hysterically. My wife is very ticklish as well so I have to be careful. Hopefully tonite is the night I can pamper her.
My sense of taste has grown over the years. There are many senses that relate to taste. Foods that I didn't like as a kid I now love and vice versa. Like, Kraft Mac n Cheese growing up was so tasty and now, blah, I'll eat it, but I don't like the nasty taste of the powder cheese. I still don't like raw tomatoes, but if you cook them, mmm good.
A day doesn't go by without listening to music so today I am going to abstain from it. Hopefully this will allow me to be more in tune with the sounds of nature. Being downtown today offers up some unique sounds. I am trying to listen beyond the normal city noises to see if I can hear anything from nature. So far just rain and wind whipping through the buildings. I also enjoy silence oddly enough.
Praying contiually about our five senses has deepened my gratitude. I find I am taking more time being in tune with what I have and pay special attention to those around me who don't have maybe one of their five senses. I was able to find an old friend in downtown who is blind and buy him a cup of coffee. His name is Leonard. I met him about 10 years ago and enjoying being in his presence. I would think about him all the time when I was in Spokane and it is great to know that after all these years he is alive and well.
Jay I am grateful for your voice. I love hearing you speak. Even if I don't want to listen what you have to say. heh.
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