Thank you, NPR.org for not only providing me with thought-provoking stories to begin my day, but also for something that absolutely rocked my world. (and yes, you'll see soon enough...pun intended)
While browsing through the interweb this morning I came across an entry on npr.org about an artist named Michael Grab. Michael is a rock-balancer...and I would also say, a very patient man. I'll add the link to the bottom of this post so that you can see for yourself just how patient he is.
Seeing Michael's work immediately took me back to our trip last summer to Maine. Peter and I had taken a day to spend on the coast and wound up in Bar Harbor (pronounced Bah Hahbah by the locals). While there, we walked along the water occasionally picking up stones that caught our interest. And for whatever reason, I had decided to pause for a moment and begin stacking stones along the shore.
It was not an easy task, for sure. One-by-one, I placed smooth, flat stones on top of each other, trying to see how high I could go. And yes, you may have noted...smooth, flat stones. I mean, come on, how are you supposed to stack them if they don't lay flat upon one another?
Even though I had the advantage of the stones stack-ability, it didn't take very long for me to learn that I was not called to be a stacker of stones. After my makeshift cairn had fallen several times, I left it behind with three stones remaining.
Seeing artist Michael Grab's work this morning caused me to have a visceral response, wishing that I had the patience (and the time) to do what he was doing. The process itself has a certain beauty to it...taking that which seems to be unnatural and creating something wonderful.
Perhaps it is the contemplative side of my mind that is quietly saying; "give it a try, allow yourself the time and you, too will experience patience."
But then, there is another piece to this visceral response. Looking at the photographs of Michael's work, I couldn't help but think that some sort of Photoshopping trickery was at play. There's no way that it could even be possible for stones to stack up in that way. Beautiful pictures...but not real.
But then I remembered...they can't put anything on the Internet that isn't true... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmx4twCK3_I Bonjour!
Seriously, what is it within me (within us) that causes doubt to enter in? Is it that we have experienced life in such a way that we have been shielded from such beauty that upon seeing it for the first time we simply cannot believe? Is it that our minds...our hearts...are so filled with the desire for concreteness that we are unable to experience awe or wonder?
Or are we simply like (Didymos Judas) Thomas, brother of Jesus and we have to "see it to believe it?"
As a people of faith...there are those times in life when we are to suspend our worldly rationale and simply believe...no explanation...no physical proof...no finger-in-nail-holes...
Yet that is not always easy.
We often, flippantly say that we don't believe something...I can't believe it's already 2013...I can't believe school vacation is almost over...I can't believe how much food I ate...I can't believe how many things I can't believe...
What would it sound like (or feel like) if instead, we were to replace "I can't believe" with "I am in awe" or "I wonder...?"
Maybe that's our challenge for today...seek out that which causes wonder...that which invites us into a state of awe. And when we find it...soak it in, take a picture of it, post it on the Internet, write about it...find a way to share it with others. And let me know what you find...comment on my blog, Facebook or twitter. Remember...we are on this journey together...let's share in that which we encounter.
Here are those videos...prepare to be amazed...awestruck...
Michael Grab 5-Minute Demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JykJrVbCMuM
My favorite - Time Lapse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp6GmC1q35Y
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