It’s so easy to take them for granted. Without thought or plan, these five accompany us through our day. In many ways, a gift we tend to take for granted.

The interesting thing is how our life would be so different if any one of them were to disappear. While the reality is many of us will likely lose some acuity of our senses over time, let’s consider the multitude of ways we can improve the quality of life for others as well as ourselves when we pay a bit more attention to what they may be trying to tell us.

SIGHT . . . The gift of sight is so precious we tremble at the thought of not having clear, healthy, vision. The detail in a gloriously gold fall leaf or the sparkle of love in the eyes of a spouse add offer special moments of beauty and joy. Yet how many times do we move our gaze away from someone because their appearance is different from ours? The gift of sight is given to open our eyes to all that is good as well as that which is disconcerting and uncomfortable.

SOUND . . . What would our world be like if we could not hear the sounds of the orchestra, the patter of little feet on Christmas morning, the crystal tones of a happy cardinal? Yet how many times do we ignore the cry of the poor or the lament of the lonely? The gift of sound is given to open our ears to the lovely as well as the lost.

TASTE . . .To taste the fresh fruits of the harvest, the bounty of the baker, the sweet and the savory, is to be nourished in body and spirit. Yet how many times do we salivate over words of bitterness or resentment? The gift of taste, the sweet and the sour, can be wielded to heal or destroy.

SMELL . . . Most would agree, there’s nothing quite like the fragrance of a fresh, home-cooked meal or the scent of a lovely spring-blue hyacinth. Yet how many times do we ignore a bag of trash or an apparent pile of rags with protruding feet on a park bench? The gift of smell is given to open our noses to a multitude of delights as well as the noxious that is a part of our broken world.

TOUCH . . . To touch the face of newborn baby is to experience a sense of heaven. To feel the soft, fuzzy blanket pulled up to our chin is to be enveloped in warmth and tenderness. Yet how many times do we recoil in the presence of the gravely ill, the wounded soldier, or the mentally broken? The gift of touch is given to open our hearts to acts of kindness and compassion that embrace the lovely, as well as those who suffer and are in pain.

As for me, I know I have a lot to learn with regard to the gift of these incredible five senses. It’s easy to appreciate them when what they have to convey is pleasurable, enjoyable. It’s certainly much more of a challenge to pay attention when the sensations trigger fear or uneasiness.

Our good and gracious God has not gifted us with our five senses to toss reason and will aside and blunder ahead absent healthy discernment.  On the other hand, what if we were to move beyond the obvious and choose to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch as invitations and opportunities to love more deeply?

Do I tend to overlook any of the five senses God has given me? Why?

Which sense do I rely on the most? Why?

How can I allow my senses to guide me in being more loving and compassionate?