By Corrine Lund —
Sometimes I think that awe and wonder are similar in the eyes and mind of a seven year old as they must have been with our Creator God when our home planet began to take shape. Awe and Wonder. For the amazing mind of my seven year old grandson, they two words occupy much of his observing and thinking time.
Early in his young life he named me “Da”, for no reason other than that was to be my name. He once told me that he will always call me by that name. So, a conversation might go something like this:
Da, if you hurry we can get to that open space where we can see the crazy colors in the sunset. It is so beautiful!
Da, look at the colors on the wings of this little bug. It’s like a rainbow!
Da, this worm is huge. Does God tell it how far down to burrow so it lives through the winter?
Da, I wonder how we could live on another planet…we need trees and water. And how long would it take to get there. If we got there, I wonder if we could ever get back to earth?
My world has become filled with the awe and wonder seen through the eyes of a young child. A child who loves the creatures and the dirt and the night sky….and is filled with the awesome world in which he lives but has so many questions about ‘I wonder” or “Why?’
“Da!” he will say as though I need to see something spectacular right now or that he has a question to share so that we can ‘wonder’ together. Both usually begin with “Da” and I know I must listen.
My favorite Psalm…139:
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
God shares some awesome stuff with us. And do you know what else God tells me? I even know you by your name. And God continues to share some awesome things with me and then…I wonder – how could that be?
And adventure will soon provide our family with an overload of Awe and Wonder as we travel to Yellowstone National Park. Again my thoughts are pulled back to Creation. Volcanoes, geysers, pools of boiling mud, mountains and wild animals How much more awe and wonder can a person manage!
But through the eyes of a little boy, earth worms, sunsets and bugs carry just as much weight in the awesomeness department. What an amazing God to provide for us such a world. “Da, come look at this bug. Right now before it gets away!”
He always calls my name.
God always calls me by my name.
Awesome
Totally filled with wonder.
CORRINE LUND: I am a mixture of so many things…a wife, mother, grandmother – an art educator for students of all ages and abilities, from very young to college classes. My husband and I have been married for 53 years and are enjoying retirement immensely. He was a clergyperson who was Director of Chaplaincy Services in southern Ohio which provided opportunities to meet so many and varied individuals. We are blessed in our retirement to be living close to our family…and that means close to our grandson who fills our hearts to overflowing.
I began to understand the importance of my creative interests when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age fifty. I began to write and make art…all kinds of art. There is no question in my mind that both experiences made the journey with significant cancer a journey of learning and growing…and surviving.
Because of that experience I reviewed all my writing and put the words together into a book entitled “God Blessed Them for the Journey” After it was published it became my gift to others traveling through their own challenging journeys. It was recently republished with new visual images that add to my story.
I have been a most ordinary person all my life with some extraordinary experiences…blessed in so many ways. My creative passion right now is working with wood and batik. And watercolor and drawing. It’s difficult to get the laundry done. We love to travel and so enjoy the outdoors. Our home is nestled in the woods near a lake which also fills my soul. My faith is sometimes filled with questions but then I ponder the simple things of just one ordinary day and I know that my journey has been in the company of an amazing Creator God, a God who have been patient with me. Life is good. God is good.
By June Friesen —
Reflection awe has seized my spirit recently during the Lenten season. The sunrise reflection was on my morning walk Saturday and the other about 4 weeks ago on a get away day to a preservation area. Here is a great meditation on the awe & wonder challenge.
GOD’S PRESENCE IS REAL
The water may be murky and dirty –
Filled with vegetation that appears dead and lifeless –
Yet……yet………
Pausing and pondering I see
A perfect reflection of the world
Around, as well as above.
How is it I marvel
That what seems so imperfect and marred
Can yet reflect such beauty seemingly unmarred?
And then I am reminded –
My life is also an imperfect vessel –
One that is marred because of humanity –
Yet …….. yet…..
When I embrace the opportunity given
I too can be a reflection of God my Creator –
I can be in His presence and allow His presence in me
To be what others see, feel and experience –
God’s presence…..I choose to let it be reflected through me.
by Christine Sine
The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.3 The man who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out.4 He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. They follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:2-4 International Children’s Bible)
Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
Yesterday I posted about our need to reimagine our world and the names of all the creatures in it with awe and wonder. I mentioned that in Genesis humankind named all the animals. Today I was struck by the fact that though we got to name the animals, it is Jesus who names us just as a shepherd names each of the sheep in his flock.
By what name does Jesus call you that gives you a sense of the awe and wonder with which he regards you? There is our given name – Christine “follower of Christ” is mine and it is one that I am very proud of as I suspect that Jesus did play a part in my naming. But what other names has Jesus given me that make me distinctive from all the other Christine’s in this world? Here are some that I hope are on the list – healer, encourager, inspirer, friend and companion.
What about you? What are the names that distinguish you from every other person in the world, the names that make it possible for Jesus to call to you so that you know he is calling you and you alone?
by Christine Sine
“We have stunned the world out of wonder” says Robert MacFarlane in his fascinating book Landmarks. He goes on the suggest that “once a landscape goes undescribed and therefore unregarded it becomes vulnerable to unwise use or improper action.” I think the same is true of animals and even something as small as an insect or the microbial bacteria in the soil. Not just a landscape or an animal I speculate as I think of the 1 million species that might become extinct as a result of human action and the millions of faceless refugees and houseless people that live around us but that we rarely notice. “Language is fundamental to the possibility of re-wonderment for language does not just register experience, it produces it” MacFarlane says.
Robert Macfarlane – Landmarks
Landmarks has enthralled me this week, perhaps because it so resonates with the themes of my book The Gift of Wonder feeding new life into my already rich awe and wonder walks. What if I try to name each plant and tree that I pass – not just with the generic name of its species but with specific names that describe its beauty and its glory? The lilac bush outside my window could become the fragrant purple flowered bush that fills my heart with delight. What if I try to find out the name of the man who sits on the corner each day begging for money and address him with a name that gives him dignity and respect? If I can’t find out his name I can give him one – the man with rugged face and far away eyes who speaks a language I do not understand.
The Way We Name Things Matters.
The way we name things matters. “A desert wasteland” does not need to be respected. An undulating dune landscape hiding the wildflower seeds of future glorious blooming does. With a wave of our hands and the words of our mouth, we have re-enchanted this landscape, re-invested it with wonder and expectation.
I suspect this is what happened when Adam named the animals in Genesis. Each naming I suspect was an occasion of awe and wonder. I cannot imagine that he just gave them a generic “horse”, “dog” “antelope” kind of name without forethought or consideration for what the animal was. My impression is that he sat and pondered each one. Looking closely, maybe examining the creature, seeing how it was created and then naming it. The more intimately he knew the animal the more certain he was of what to call it.
How Many Names Have We Lost?
Bongo Antelope
The origin of many of the names by which we now know our animals has been lost but they still have meaning for us. Gazelle immediately conjures up an image of a swift, fast running antelope. Elephant is a large mammal with a long nose and beautiful curving tusks. Unfortunately there are many other created creatures we no longer name. Some of them we know better cars that speed across the landscape like cheetah and jaguar and impala or that trample its beauty with off road driving like rams and broncos . I was very concerned as I read MacFarlane’s book to hear that in the latest version of the Oxford Junior Dictionary there was a culling of words concerning nature. Words like dandelion, heron, herring, kingfisher, lark, and leopard. New additions included blog, voice-mail, cut-and-paste.
How many creatures no longer register on our consciousness because we have no name for them or else have given them a name with negative connotations – like dandelions – weeds to one person, obviously something to be forgotten by kids but the most nutritious plants in the garden to another?
What Would It Take to Re-Wonder Our World?
Rewondering the world
I love Lilly Lewin’s suggestion in last week’s Freerange Friday that we need to take a a wonder vacation, not to get away from wonder but to reintroduce it into our lives. To rewonder our world we need to rediscover that this is a place of mystery and that means we need to slow down and take time to notice. Re-wonderment means noticing not just the flower, but the unique and beautiful arrangement of each petal, the stamens at its center beckoning insects to its feast. Re-wonderment means stopping to inhale the fragrance, the heady aroma, more exotic than any perfume, that often only lasts for a few short days before it fades.
My awe and wonder walks have opened my eyes to new depths of wonder. Awe does beget awe. Wonder inspires wonder, and in the process, there is that sense that we once more walk in the garden with God.
Pause for an Awe and Wonder Walk Today
I challenge you to pause your day for at least 1/2 an hour, and go on your own awe and wonder walk today. Re-expose yourself to the wonder of God’s world and the delight God intends you to find in interacting with it.
Walk around your neighbourhood. What catches your attention? It could be something as seemingly insignificant as an ant crossing the pavement. Where did it come from? Where is it going? What is its purpose? What do you learn about yourself and about God as you watch it. In what ways does it open you up to the awe and wonder of our world?
Have you had your dose of awe and wonder this week. Here are a few that I have seen or else had sent to me. I love this sketch “beauty from rocky ground” that Janet Sue Smith sent me.
For me personally however my awe and wonder sightings have revolved around babies. I delighted in the birth of little Archie to Harry and Meghan but even more than that I delighted in the birth of May Wallace Mackey to my best friend’s son Wade and his wife Abbey.
May Wallace Mackey
May Wallace Mackey
On the other side of the world in Australia, I am awed by the birth of my 2 new nieces Lucy and Ally and my nephew Conor. I am also awed by the technology that it makes it possible for me to watch their antics on Facetime instantaneously. Babies are truly awe inspiring. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made.
Babies Lucy, Ally and Conor
Of course it would be hard for me not to be inspired by nature during the week and this week it has been this magnificent orchid cactus that has held my attention – the color, the form and the size are incredible
Together with my orchid cactus
What was your awe and wonder sighting today?
We all need the space and time for wonder. The motto at St. Cecelia School here in Nashville is “Wonder leads to knowing.” I think this means knowing ourselves and God better! Christine Sine is challenging us all to experience more awe and wonder in our lives.
Maybe you need a wonder vacation, or a wonder holiday. A designated time away from things so that you can give yourself permission to experience wonder in a way that feeds your soul. In order to experience wonder, I think we have to plan for it. Then after we make a plan, we have to actually take the time to practice receiving the gift of wonder.
It’s not always easy to do. It’s a real gift that we can give to ourselves and one another…the gift of time and space to experience wonder. Even for an hour!
Life gets so busy that if we don’t plan to pay attention, we will miss all the beauty that surrounds us. We will miss the smile on a baby’s face, or the funny things that the dog does while he’s sleeping. We won’t see the simple beauty of a wildflower by the road when walking the dog. Or we will miss the billowing clouds and not feel or see the breeze blowing in the newly leaved trees.
We all need help to experience wonder.
We need help and permission to remove the things that block us from experiencing awe and wonder and beauty.
What things block you from experiencing awe and wonder?
For me: politics, busyness, worry, fear, too much work, anger, anxiety about the future, poor health or fear of poor health, the dreaded phone!
What’s on your list?
What things block you from experiencing awe and wonder?
What things prevent you from noticing the beauty around you?
During Lent I needed to stop listening to TV news so that I could experience more peace in my life and less craziness. I’ve continued this practice post Easter and have cut down my NPR( National Public Radio) habit so I can stay sane. And cutting out the daily grind of political news has sure helped me have more space for WONDER!
After figuring out what things block you from wonder, now it’s time to consider what experiencing wonder looks like for you. What does WONDER look like to you? Where and how do you experience WONDER?
Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with ,or are you alone?
Are you going outside in nature?
Is Wonder going to a bookstore on your own without kids or distractions?
Is it riding your bike or taking a walk or a run?
Is it creating something or watching someone else create something beautiful?
Is it visiting a place of beauty? Is it going to a museum?
Make a list of what wonder looks like for you.
I made a trip to the northwest to get my cup filled up at the end of April. I needed to be around creative, encouraging people. I needed to see water and mountains. And I made a special effort to see the end of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival because I knew that the beauty and wonder of the flowers would feed my soul.
What would a Wonder Trip look like for you?
You might not have the space for an entire Wonder trip or weekend, but author Julia Cameron in The Artist Way, has us take ourselves on an artist date. She defines an Artist Date as:
The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly “artistic”– think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration.
I took myself to our local art museum last Saturday, even though I knew it would be crowded and even though I had lots to do around the house. I knew I needed a bit of wonder in my soul and I knew that Monet would provide that!
Where would you go on an Artist Date with yourself? What would that involve? What WONDER would this bring you? Plan it! Give yourself permission to do it! In order to experience wonder we need to plan it and give ourselves permission to practice and experience it! I’d love to hear more about what you plan!
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
“We need to find God, and God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature– trees and flowers and grass– grow in silence. See the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.” Mother Teresa
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