When was the last time a life experience instilled in you a healthy dose of awe? If you’re like me, either mundane tasks or sensationalized information overload compose most of your day. It’s no surprise we’re left wrung out and weary by the end of the week. We resort to stimulating our brain by scrolling through endless newsfeeds even though this only worsens the deadening of our senses. How do we wake up the wonder many of us lost sometime after childhood?
Spend some time with toddlers and they’ll soon bowl you over with their sense of awe and excitement. Purely by accident, I lifted my fingers in a peace sign during a recent FaceTime conversation with my twin grandchildren. Who knew this would trigger an explosion of colorful balloons in the background? Their contagious laughter filled the air waves between us and lifted all our spirits skyward.
Children and laughter are a sure antidote for the doldrums of winter.
But, if little ones are not a part of your daily routine, seeking out and sustaining a healthy dose of awe in your life is still doable. Pay attention to the little wonders all around you. Soon you’ll marvel in amazement at what you’ve missed while sleepwalking through life.
Whenever I drive through Sam’s Gap on my way down to Asheville, the mountain scenery takes my breath away. Every time. It doesn’t matter what season of the year it is; the view is simply spectacular. A camera cannot capture the magnificent beauty of this region. One must simply experience it.
And then there are the goats. The wild herd grazing on the Tennessee side of the Gap captivates the attention of many passerbys. I can always tell those who haven’t caught sight of them before as they tap on their brakes to avoid a calamity. But as surprising as it may seem, the goats never cross onto the highway. Like the mountains, they’re now a stable part of the landscape.
Yet, the changing of the seasons is my favorite way to boost a healthy dose of awe. Over the past two days, I’ve purposely sought out spring along my normal walking route. It’s still a bit early but hints of change are evident everywhere. Birds twitter in the trees and the robins have returned in droves. The air is fresh with a lingering warmth from longer days. As the first flowers burst forth in a panorama of color, bees carry the pollen back to their hives.
If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, the promise of Spring is evident all around us. Do you sense its presence?
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet, their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalms 19:1-4 NIV
Evidence of God’s Spirit is much the same as these hints of Spring. Once you recognize God’s fingerprints in your life, then you start to notice signs of His presence all around you. Like the first flowers, God’s Kingdom is ready to burst forth. Can you see it? For now, this spiritual reality is subtle and hidden to most. Yet someday, it will be apparent to all.
Don’t let the cares of this world close your eyes and stop your ears to the magnificence of God’s creation. Allow the Spirit to dwell within you and instill in your heart a healthy dose of awe. Only then, will you fully embrace the wonders of God’s living gifts all around you.
*Featured Photo Courtesy of Anna Berger.
