Musings of a hound dog
I was sitting in the examination chair of a darkened room in my facial surgeon’s office. My eyes were swollen and somewhat bruised, and images were still blurry. A little over a year ago, I learned that I had “droopy eyelids.” This phrase always makes me think of a hound dog! I didn’t expect to grow up to look like a bloodhound, but advanced age delivers numerous unwanted packages. However, the hound dogs I’ve seen seem happy, so I got that going for me.
A year earlier, my optometrist was checking my vision with one of those funny machines where you rest your chin on a cold metal attachment and look deeply into a blinding light. Unfortunately, I could not open my eyes wide enough for the machine to detect my retina, and I had to pull up on my eyelids before she could complete the test. She then explained that I have both cataracts and hound dog syndrome. She recommended a surgeon and told me to return after surgery to discuss the removal of cataracts.
Now, I look like I got into a barroom brawl and lost. My Doc put stinging drops into each eye, then examined his handiwork. During the examination, he asked me to look up. This action caused pain in one eye, which did not surprise me, given that I have stitches across both eyelids. When I expressed my pain about looking up, the healer made a profound comment.
“That’s alright. Most people don’t look up very often anyway.”
He had no idea of the interesting thoughts he elicited through that statement.
I was reminded of deer hunting. Often, the best way to bag a deer is to climb into a tree, build a tree stand, and then patiently wait for an unsuspecting deer to pass underneath. Tree stands are effective because deer don’t look up. They have no reason to look up since their predators don’t come from above, and they don’t find food high in the trees. Bambi lives in a horizontal world.
Except for birds, most creatures, including humans, live a horizontal existence. Life comes at us on the same plane where we live. We generally have little need of gazing upward except to notice the clouds, the moon, and stars, and perhaps a sunrise or sunset. Daily existence presents so many challenges we can appear like Mario dodging the Blue Shell. We must keep our eyes focused directly ahead or be run over by the next challenging situation.
Interestingly, looking up often results in a sense of wonder. The vastness of the night sky enchants our senses. We look at the moon and think, “Did someone really walk on its surface?” We wonder if there are other beings out there somewhere. Even here on earth, we often look up to wondrous sights. I’ll never forget the first time the plane approached the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains just beyond Denver. We look up to the giant Sequoias and marvel at the length of their existence. We must bend our necks to gaze toward the heights of the World Trade Center Tower or the Eifel Tower. Looking up to the faces of Mt. Rushmore gives a sense that some people rise to great heights by their deeds, and we are inspired.
When my kids were little, I remember their arms and hands reaching skyward towards daddy to pick them up or comfort them when they were hurt or sad. Reaching up symbolizes a sense of dependence and a longing for security.
The events surrounding Christmas displayed people looking up. On several occasions, angels appeared and proclaimed messages from God. I don’t know the average height of an angel, but I think it would be taller than the tallest NBA player. I can’t imagine looking down on an angel. Shepherds viewed high in the night sky an entire host of angels delivering messages from the Almighty. Of course, we cannot forget the Wise Men who peered into the heavens and were guided to the Messiah.
“That’s alright. Most people don’t look up very often anyway.”
Perhaps we should look up more often. It certainly never hurts to enjoy the night sky, but we can also gaze heavenward with our spirit. Life can become depressing, even overwhelming, if we live only on the earthly plane of existence. Challenges never cease. Tragedy is common. Relationships are frayed. Our past haunts us. We become not only physically worn out but spiritually starved.
What does one need to look up?
Make time for some solitude. Your schedule is demanding, especially this time of year, but you can carve out time alone – even if it’s fifteen minutes.
When you are alone, you can loosen the grip of the challenges you face and put them into a larger perspective. Simply pondering the scene of Christ’s birth and its implications can breathe life into a tired soul. Put yourself into the shepherd’s sandals for a few minutes and consider their thoughts. Imagine a heavenly host of angelic beings skyward singing the most moving tunes you’ve ever experienced. What were the reflections of a husband with his first son, one that would reveal the love of God to the entire world? Historical accounts tell us that Mary liked to “ponder” matters in her heart. Perhaps she knew a secret.
Ask your Father for insight and inspiration, depth and understanding. And then listen.
Listen more, talk less. Listen to the voice of God. The Child grew to manhood and compassionately called us to, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) He often speaks in a still, small voice that can only be discerned in quiet places.
I’ve done a fair amount of hiking and learned some valuable lessons through it. One of the most important is that to fully enjoy a beautiful hike, one must slow down or even stop so that you can look up. It takes concentration on many trails to keep from stumbling. You must keep your eyes focused on the next few feet in front of you. Life is like a long hike where there are many obstacles to navigate. So, it is necessary to slow down or even stop regularly and look up. When you look up, you behold the reason why you went hiking in the first place – the beauty that surrounds you.
I just received a text from my daughter, who is volunteering in the mall to raise funds for UCP. She says it is madness out there! We all have a lot of scurrying around to do before this day arrives next week. I suggest you will enjoy it more if you make and take time to look up regularly.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
