A 24-carat world

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“If you have never heard the mountains singing, or seen the trees of

the field clapping their hands, do not think because of that that

they don’t. Ask God to open your ears so you may hear it, and your

eyes so you may see it, because, though few men ever know it, they

do, my friend, they do.”

-- MCCANDLISH PHILLIPS

“Stop, look, listen” was a common phrase in my childhood. If I

recall correctly, it is what we were to do before crossing the

street.

We stopped to look both ways and listen for cars before proceeding

on our way. I thought about that phrase recently when I watched some

children stop before crossing the street on their way to school. They

were laughing and giggling one minute, but they stopped and were all

very careful to check the streets in both directions when it was time

to cross. As I continued my walk, I realized that those three verbs

are also good advice when it comes to looking and listening for God

at work around us.

I thought back to a conversation I had with my friend Marcia.

She’d been on a walk one crisp morning, and we talked on the phone

about what she’d seen. She’d walked where she could see the sun

glittering on the glassy ocean. “Cindy, you should have seen it,” she

said. “I’m almost breathless just thinking about it. The ocean was

sparkling, as if God threw diamonds on the water. Cindy, it was like

diamonds in every direction.”

Early the next day, I walked up a big hill and thanked God for the

beauty of the day. I also tried to look and listen for God’s creative

touch. The more I listened, the less I heard lawnmowers and leaf

blowers. Soon, I didn’t even hear my own thoughts, which had been so

loud in my mind not long before. Instead, I heard many different

birds singing their greetings to one another and to the new day.

I looked around, and the trees seemed to dance in the breeze. I

looked longer, and some of the leaves twinkled like diamonds. Then I

headed for a long patch of green grass, which glistened with early

morning dew. Again, it looked liked diamonds sparkling among the

blades of grass.

I stopped, looked and listened for God on a recent ski trip. The

sky was blue beyond description, and I couldn’t help but stare at the

beauty of the glistening white snow. It looked like diamond dust had

frosted the snow in every direction. Even the elegant mountains

seemed to sing about God’s majesty. One cold night, we walked home

from dinner, and the sky was alive with bright, twinkling stars. It

felt like we could practically reach up and touch the Big Dipper. The

other stars glittered like diamond windows into heaven.

I stand in awe of the beauty of God’s creation, beauty that is

beyond human description. I thank God that we can ask him to give us

ears to hear the mountains sing, and eyes to see the trees of the

fields clap their hands.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Suite 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.