Sitting out on our deck this morning, I found myself lost in thought a bit.  I’m not sure what I was thinking about, but all of the sudden all those thoughts stopped and I tuned in to the sounds all around me.

The sound of the bird with blue tipped wings sitting on the tree about 20 feet from me. The far off sound of some other birds chirping back and forth to each other.  The sound of the wind blowing through the trees.  The sound of a tiny chipmunk rustling through the leaves under that bush.  The sound of those 2 squirrels chasing each other and jumping through the trees.  The sound of bumblebees buzzing around the honeysuckle feasting on the nectar. 

The more I listen for these sounds the more I hear.  Some of these sounds I don’t know if I’ve ever paid attention to hear before.  Isn’t that how this works… sometimes we don’t hear something until we ch

oose to listen. 

Then I had this thought, everything in nature has a sound.  Even these 2 orange butterflies that are circling around my strawberry plants have a sound.  They may not make “noise”…but their sound is in their vibrant colors.  Why does sound exist?  Maybe sound exists to get noticed.  I noticed them today because of their vibrant colors standing out in stark contrast to the shades of green all around them.

Over the past few years we have discussed the idea that we (as human beings) have a sound.  Several times we’ve found ourselves asking, “what is our sound?”  What gets us noticed?  What makes us stick out in stark contrast to the world around us?  And today I’m reminded that everything in nature has a sound.  Are we listening?  What is your sound?  What is our sound as this generation?  I don’t know if I can describe it in words just like I can’t mimic that bird’s chirp….but I know it when I hear it.  I think our sound has a lot to do with justice, with freedom, with finding our voice, with a drive and an ambition to change something around us, to be a part of something greater. 

What sounds are you noticing today….what sounds are you listening for today?