I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world...
Songwriters: Harold Adamson / Jan Savitt / John Watson

Typically my day-to-day blog posts focus on something – or some idea – that has inspired me. It’s not difficult to write just about every day, so long as I am paying attention. I could easily change the blog title from “Derek Maul: Words & Photographs for the Journey” to “Paying Attention: Living with an Open Spirit.”

Hmmm, I like that. Maybe it should be the title for my new book?

Anyway, there are always leftover photographs at the end of the week. Sometimes things just frame up nicely even when there is no obvious story. This is the day I try to share a few.

My favorites are when I am walking through the neighborhood and a sidewalk, or street, or the way a house sits amongst the trees just makes me smile. A couple of days ago, walking back from coffee with a friend, even the ugly county services parking lot behind our house looked inviting, with the stunning red crepe myrtle in full bloom.

I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world...

And the flowers, that were so encouraged by last weekend’s brief rains, continue to dazzle as a way to remind me that beauty is always around us and most especially if we are looking for it.

Then, in my kitchen, I understand that food photography is a specialized art form. I have never arranged a serving of food for the purposes of capturing an image. But, once in a while, a plate of deliciousness absolutely begs for a photograph.

Food presentation really does make a difference and even effects flavor. But, no, by the time I have completed the cooking and I am ready to ask the blessing, the last thing I am thinking about is how it’s going to look on somebody’s iPhone!

Is this cause or effect?

So here’s my question: Is it the beauty of this world that causes me to pay attention and invites me to take photographs? Or is it the paying attention part that brings out the beauty and the wonder and the joy?

I believe that the simple discipline of intentionally looking for signs of beauty (and grace and hope and encouragement) not only brings all this into focus, it becomes part of the fabric of life that makes such goodness and promise possible.

It is not only awareness that is created by our spiritual condition, but cause too. Maybe it is not only that a spiritually astute person will see the lovely flower growing in the bombed out wasteland… maybe our spirituality in fact creates the evidence we then see in the physical world?

All I know for sure is that prayer, and my ongoing walk with Jesus and an open spirit have a lot to do with what I see from day to day.

And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world...

Peace, and an open heart – DEREK