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I was nervous. For the first time in my life, I'd been invited to an exclusive gathering of evangelical executives. The renowned Christian leader Dr. Leighton Ford was the guest speaker, and my assignment was to sit in the back of the room and take notes for my absent boss.
I was young then, a new follower of Jesus, the only brown face in the room, and the only woman, but already well-attuned to the revelatory nuances of non-verbals. In fact, in some evangelical settings, I struggled with feeling overlooked and invisible.
That's why it shocked me to note Dr. Ford's eyes seeking mine throughout his talk. He was intently concentrating on his message, but his gaze repeatedly focused on me as though I were the most important member of his audience. It was as if his subconscious was trained to attend to the weakest person in the room. A lot like God, I found myself thinking.
Two decades later, I'm loving THE ATTENTIVE LIFE (IVP, May 2008). Dr. Ford uses the liturgical hours (vigils, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, and compline) to inspire reflection on the stages of life, and weaves in stories and poems to make this a perfect summer devotional read. In a culture ensnared by worry and hurry, this book can equip us with the sturdy resistance we need for spiritual health.
Pay attention to God, Dr. Ford says, because God pays attention to you. And I, for one, believe him, thanks to a time when a "powerful" Christian leader helped a young, insecure listener appreciate the grace of divine attention.
