Did You Notice?
The things we miss so easily + free Notice List download.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to miss the life we’re actually living. I think we’re just carrying so much in our minds that we don’t always notice what’s happening right in front of us. We’re always praying about something, worrying about something, trying to figure something out or wondering when God is finally going to answer the prayer we’ve been bringing before Him for what feels like forever. Before we know it, we’re so focused on where we wish we were, the things we always need, that we stop seeing where we are.
The other morning I was sitting outside with my coffee when a little bird landed on the fence. It wasn’t anything remarkable. It wasn’t rare or unusual. It was just a little bird doing what little birds do. It chirped for a while, hopped from one fence post to another, then flew away again. I watched it for longer than I normally would, and somewhere in that ordinary little moment a thought settled into my heart.
Did you notice?
I’ve thought about that question ever since.
Not because I think every bird is some special message from God. I don’t. But I do think God has always had a beautiful way of drawing our attention back to ordinary things. Jesus spoke about birds, wildflowers, seeds, vineyards and sheep. Things people saw every single day. Things they probably walked straight past without giving them a second thought. Yet somehow He could take something completely ordinary and reveal something extraordinary about His Father.
I wonder if we’ve forgotten how to notice.
I know I have.
Oh my, I can become so consumed by the things I’m praying about that they quietly become the backdrop to everything. They’re there while I’m making coffee, folding washing, driving into town or trying to fall asleep at night. They follow me into conversations, into church and into my quiet time with God. I don’t choose for them to be there. They just are. And before long I’ve started measuring God’s faithfulness by the one thing that hasn’t happened yet instead of remembering all the little ways He’s been faithful every single day.
The more I sat with that thought, the more I realised how many quiet reminders of God’s goodness I’ve almost missed. A verse that suddenly spoke to me in a way it never had before. A friend sending a message at exactly the right time. A deep breath when anxiety finally loosened its grip for a little while. Strength to get through another day when I honestly didn’t think I had much left. None of those things were dramatic, and none of them instantly changed my circumstances, but every one of them reminded me that God hadn’t disappeared while I was waiting.
Maybe that’s why Jesus said, “Look at the birds.”
Not because the birds are the point. Because the Father is. Because every time one flies across the sky or lands on a fence, it quietly reminds us that the same God who notices something so small has never stopped noticing us either.
I don’t know what you’re waiting for today. Maybe it’s healing. Maybe it’s direction. Maybe it’s restoration. Maybe it’s simply a little peace after carrying too much for too long. Whatever it is, I hope with all my heart that God answers it.
But while you’re waiting, I also hope you don’t miss today.
I hope you notice the bird that lands on your fence.
I hope you notice the warmth of your morning coffee before it goes cold.
I hope you notice the colours in the sky, the verse that seems to find you at just the right time, the unexpected encouragement from someone who had no idea you needed it and the quiet strength God gives you to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Those things don’t replace the answer you’re waiting for. They simply remind you that you aren’t waiting alone.
I’ve been wondering lately if that’s what Jeremiah meant when he wrote that God’s mercies are new every morning. Not that every morning arrives without trouble, but that every morning carries fresh evidence of God’s faithfulness. Sometimes it arrives in ways we recognise immediately. Other times it slips quietly into our day and waits for us to notice.
Maybe that’s the invitation.
Not to spend our lives searching for spectacular moments, but to become people who recognise the quiet kindness of God woven through ordinary days.
Since that morning I’ve caught myself looking at birds a little differently. Because they’ve become little reminders to lift my eyes from everything that’s filling my mind and remember that God is still here. He’s still kind. He’s still faithful. He’s still writing a story that’s far bigger than the chapter I’m living today.
And every now and then, all it takes is a little bird on a fence to remind me of that.
Love, Sarah xx.
“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!”- Lamentations 3:22–23 (CSB)
Reflection: As you finish reading today, don’t think about everything that’s still waiting to be solved. Instead, think about your day so far.
What have you noticed?
Perhaps it was a bird on the fence, the smell of fresh coffee, a kind word from a friend, a verse that settled into your heart or simply the strength to face another day. Write down three ordinary moments where you caught a glimpse of God’s goodness. You might discover He has been far closer than you realised.
Father, Thank You for meeting me in the ordinary moments of life. Thank You that I don’t have to wait for everything to make sense before I can see Your goodness. Forgive me for the times I’ve become so focused on what I’m waiting for that I’ve overlooked the quiet ways You’ve been caring for me every single day.
Help me to slow down. Teach me to notice Your faithfulness in the little things, Your presence in the ordinary moments and Your kindness in the everyday gifts I so easily rush past. May I become someone who sees Your fingerprints in both the extraordinary and the ordinary, trusting that You are always near, even when life feels quiet.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If this spoke to something deep in you, you’re not alone here.
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Such beautiful writing!
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!❤️🙏✝️🙌