Without the bells and whistles of today’s electronic devices, my children depended on interactive games to keep them occupied during a long car trip. One game they played was I Spy.

Whoever was the spy discreetly chose an obscure item in the car and pronounced, “I spy with my little eye something…” adding a hint, such as its beginning letter or color. A player never chose something obvious, like a steering wheel or mom’s red purse, but something discreet, like a crumpled candy wrapper that began with an M, or a book cover with a tiny bit of the named color. Whoever guessed correctly was the next spy.

Since this is my fourth Child’s Play post, you will not be surprised to find there’s a life illustration here. Today, we have convenient electronic devices that the former generation did without, but honesty compels us to admit they monopolize our attention. We miss many of the blessings God has generously scattered around us.

I want to live with an I-Spy mentality, keen to discover thelittle-noticed beauty in the small space I occupy. While life whizzes by and the world screams for attention, I want to notice the teeny mushroom in our front yard, count the juncos at our feeder, and pause to watch the neighbor child struggle to pedal her new bike. I want to step out at night to see the Beaver Moon, delight in the deer munching the apples we tossed, and make time to hear a friend’s voice rather than text her.

I want to share my observations and ask others if they’ve seen what I spied. I want to hear about the beauty they’ve spotted and share the joy of discovery.

And, I want to bless my Father’s heart by noticing His gifts and thanking Him for them. His creation is stunning, mysterious, awesome. Lord, open our eyes to spy the wonders you created.

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
O Lord, what great works you do!” Psalm 92:4-5a