Have you ever felt like you were moving through life almost on autopilot? You keep going, thinking about what you need to do and what comes next, and rarely stop to really look at what is around you.
Since living in other countries, I have become more aware of this. Here in Germany, there are enormous, beautiful castles, yet I often see locals walk right past them without even looking up. When I return to Puerto Rico, something similar happens. I stop to look at the ocean, the mountains, or a landscape I had missed, while the people who live there simply continue with their day as usual.
Then I remember that I used to be the same way. The beach? I had seen it plenty of times. The mountains? Those too. I would just keep going without paying much attention.
Now, when I visit a place, I try to take it all in, to capture it in my mind as if it were a treasure. I want to remember everything: the sounds, the smells, and the colors. Over time, I have realized that many of my memories were centered on my immediate world: what I was thinking, what I was doing, or what I needed to take care of; rather than the full scene surrounding me.
The Blindness of Routine
Just as someone in Germany may walk past a medieval castle without looking up, or someone in Puerto Rico may pass by the ocean without stopping to watch the waves, we can sometimes live our faith on “autopilot.” We know that God is there, constantly, greater than a castle or the vastness of the ocean, yet the routine of our responsibilities can lead us to overlook His presence.
We do not necessarily stop believing in Him or stop doing the things that are part of our spiritual lives. We may continue praying, reading the Bible, going to church, and listening to sermons. The problem comes when all of it becomes so familiar that we stop seeing what truly matters. We can become so focused on our own concerns that we keep moving without stopping to recognize what God has placed right in front of us.
The Spiritual “Traveler”
When you travel, your senses are more awake because you know you are experiencing something different and that your time in that place is probably limited. When you pause and intentionally “capture the moment,” you begin to see it as something unique, and you become aware that you may never return. So you observe more, ask questions, notice the details, and try to hold on to what you are experiencing.
Something similar can happen in our relationship with God, because we can become accustomed even to the things that once filled us with wonder. Sometimes we need to step out of that autopilot mode and approach Him with attention again, rather than doing things simply because they have become part of our routine.
Jesus often directed His disciples’ attention toward ordinary things. He spoke to them about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field to teach them about God’s care (Matthew 6:26–30). Obviously, they had seen birds and flowers all their lives. Jesus did not show them something new; He taught them to look more carefully at something that had already been right in front of them. Maybe we need that from time to time as well.
The Details That Stay With You
Before, I could visit a place, or even look out from my own balcony, and continue with my day without thinking much about what was in front of me. Now, however, I remember new smells, landscapes, and colors, and perhaps some that were not really new at all, because I stopped to take them in. That is why I try to observe more. I know many of those moments pass quickly and that sometimes we wish we could return to them, but afterward, all we have left is what we managed to keep in our memory.
When you stop and pay attention to God, instead of simply “going through the motions” or only asking Him for things, you begin to notice details you once took for granted. You may recognize an answered prayer that, at another time, you might have dismissed as coincidence. You remember a word from Scripture right when you need it and begin applying it more intentionally to everyday situations. Sometimes you even realize that you prayed for something, God answered, and somewhere in the middle of everything else, you forgot to thank Him. Little by little, you begin to notice those small miracles in everyday life and recognize how God has been sustaining you through a difficult season.
You also begin to give thanks for things that may have once seemed too small to mention. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” Remembering where every good thing comes from changes the way we receive those things and helps us live with greater gratitude.
Perhaps many of the things we think God is not doing are already happening right in front of us, but we are moving too quickly to notice them. How sad it would be to go through life without pausing and end up missing His presence and so many of the gifts He has placed along our path.
Photo by Heidy M. Pedroza
Place: Puerto Rico
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