Now, before you get carried away having seen the title of this reflection, I haven't suddenly turned into Perry Como and about to sing Magic Moments!, but I do want to make reference to a dictionary definition (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) which talks of a magic moment being a "short time which seems beautiful and special".
I decided yesterday that I needed some fresh air, away from the desk and took the opportunity at lunchtime to put on my trail shoes and head over to Sandwell Valley, together with my binoculars and camera. I was only outside for some fifty minutes, walking only 2.34 miles...but what did I see and hear?...
Robins, Chaffinches, House sparrows, magpies, butterflies, grey squirrels, blue-tits, dunnocks, a bullfinch , rook and Yellowhammer, mallards, horses...dandelions, apple blossom, forget-me-knots, bluebells...and more (not forgetting the sunshine through the trees and reflections on the river Tame).... I sound quite knowledgeable don't I ? 👨🎓Well yes, and no.....I still had to come back and research some plants and listen again to my smartphone "app" on bird-song!
There is something magic about nature, it catches your imagination, it gives us just a glimpse of the glory of God, the creator. You begin to wonder if the birds are indeed giving praise to their maker as they sing beautifully (or sweetly in the trees) as translated by Stuart K Hine in the hymn "How great thou art".
Magic moments before my eyes - it is so easy sometimes to forget that there is so much life going on around us, an abundance of beauty, and if we just continue to live in our little bubbles and don't step outside and look, we are missing out on so much of God's creation all around us. No wonder God said constantly, "it was Good".
I despair sometimes when I see people walking along with headphones on and heads down...as you could be missing out on so much! Nature can bring the best out in all of us, and yesterday, my fellow walkers greeted me with a smile, a few words, a greeting, as if our surroundings were just where we needed to be, in that time and place, even if no words were spoken, it was as if we acknowledged to each other irrespective of faith or not...wow, look, see, hear, smell, feel, be present in this moment.
For me, yes a short time that was beautiful and special, a fleeting or magic moment, but God offers that to us every day, always creating, always working, always loving, always being....
I pray that we all have "magic moments", and if you do, offer your praise, thanksgiving and adoration for we are blessed every day...
© Stephen Allen April 2023
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