I thought you might enjoy this poem a friend forwarded to me. It ends with a sobering message.

A CLASSIC CONCERT

There’s a grand concert of nature
That thrills us every spring.
All the players take their places
And we hear and see them dance and sing.

The birds are winging here and there
Gathering twigs to build a nest.

And, we are pleased to see and hear again
Our old friend robin redbreast.

The cottontail is busy in the grass
Lining her nest with fur.

Honey bees visit every flower
And they are just a blur.

The snow geese add their music
From high up in the sky.
We feel a touch of sadness
As they honk that last goodbye.

The bullfrogs make their music
From somewhere in the pond.

The coyotes add their voices
From somewhere far beyond.

Once upon a time I heard this concert
With my windows open wide.

Then, we closed our homes for central air,
Now all I hear is what’s inside.

The End

The effect of central air on how connected we feel to the environment around us when we shut out windows is obvious. But what about other types of “window-shutting” we might engage? Particularly, mental window-shutting?

Like closing our mind to other people’s point of view? Or shutting our mind to constructive criticism? Prejudice, self-righteousness, narrow-mindedness, stubbornness, pride, and their kin would block out helpful ideas and perspective that might otherwise bless us immensely if let in and considered.

I like the above story because it’s encouraged me to think about ways I might have shut the windows of my thought to fresh inspiration and insight. It’s not healthy to get stuck in mental ruts that get so deep we can’t see over the edge to the beautiful views all around.

God’s universe is glorious, and we have spiritual senses to take it in abundantly. We must use those senses though, and not let them become ignored by getting too matter-focused in our pursuits and activities.