Eyes from Everywhere

The map above represents people who have visited this little blog this morning before 9:30 or so. I was doing my regular (once ever 2-3 day) reading from my favorite blogs, and it came to me how many of them are from overseas. A lot of my favorites are from the UK, and there's one from Paris, France, and another from Africa. As well as all over the place here in the U.S. So I peeked to see where my visitors had been coming from.

In almost every case, I have found these now favorite blogs by visiting sites linked to on other blogs I read, or by clicking on people who comment on those blogs, and one led to another and led to another.

If you are a reader here, one of those pin-points on the map above, I'd suggest you click on some of my favorite blogs on the right hand column, or read some of the comments here and click on the commentator's links. It's a way to find interesting, beautiful and challenging things to read and see.

Does anyone except me appreciate a world where an ordinary person in Va can experience life and get to know people EVERYWHERE? I find it amazing still, even though it's part of my everyday life and work.

As I looked at the map, it occurred to me that I had no idea how many people were reading my poems and thoughts here, or where they come from, or who they are. I don't know if they like them, hate them, are touched by them, or indifferent. Most readers simply read and move on. A few will comment perhaps. And fewer still might e-mail me and start a conversation. But even though this is a small little blog in the vast bloggy universe, there's still a fair number of people looking in.

In the same way, I thought to myself, God is looking down on me, watching, seeing my flaws at work, loving me despite them, guiding me perhaps, or testing me, but always there. He's even reading these words (probably laughing). And just like with my map of surprises, I am often unaware. I shouldn't be. I should be VERY aware, but like most people, I go through too many chunks of my life not thinking about God, but thinking about every thing else.

Still, when I stop to think, or in my daly prayer times, I am grateful for God's looking in. I've had a run of bad times the past few years. Nothing a million other people haven't gone through, but still, for me, tough times to sort through. Now, as I look back, I see where he was looking in, where he was at work, watching over me and steering me, and steering the world around me to make good things happen in love, even when I failed him.

That's grace, his eyes from everywhere, loving us... no matter what, where, or when.

Tom

PS - if you are interested, you can click on the map to get a larger version.