Listen in Wonder

I sat calmly in my seat at the church, the smell of space a little spicy and a little stale compared to the fresh and dewy outside air. Slightly disgruntled and unsettled I waited for the service to begin.

 I was one of the only people in the silent sanctuary when the bells began to toll, signaling the beginning of the service. As the strong and sweet sound of the bells resounded throughout the neighborhood, my eyes were drawn upward at the sound of the creaking and groaning of the wood-lined ceiling. It too was waking up for the service and I heard it’s grumbles and complaints as the bells reverberated through the wood, signaling and asking for ears to hear the Word.

The bells reverberated in me as well. Eyes-wide, I listened to the creaks and I waited as they quieted and ceased their response. My soul needed that. I needed my fibers to be shook and pulled gently.

The signal of the bell reminded me of how much we need a "noise" like it to draw us away from our own thoughts and concerns. Bells prick our attention and cause a shift in our thinking. I think the bells sometimes affect our course, because they awake in us a greater understanding.

I am grateful for bells, even though I wasn’t grateful to be in the seat when I heard them. They stirred me up out of my stagnant thinking and allowed me to draw a little understanding.

The bells are tolling for you as well, you need only be near enough to hear their call. Stay wonderful, my friends.