All the people were beside themselves with wonder.
Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying,
“We’ve seen unimaginable things today.”
Luke 5:26
Do you realize you have seen unimaginable things today? Can you name a few? Too often, we can all admit, that we get swept up moving from one day to the next. Our minds are so task oriented, goal oriented and future oriented, that we miss the glorious impossible within today. It isn’t that I think goals are bad. They can often be beneficial, even lucrative in the right context. But they can also be distracting.
What does soil feel like under your fingernails? Which window can you look out to best see the pink of sunrise beginning to emerge? And, when you see the pink – are you willing to stop what you are doing to go outside and admire it?
I find nature the easiest place to reset my wonder-gauge. I am struck silent and captivated by so many things in creation and when I stop my world from moving, however long I can manage, I feel the whisper of grace touch my heart. Trees, flowers, wind, rain, thunder, sunsets, dandelions, mountain ridges, streams, ocean waves, gritty sand, stars….all of it bears His mark.
Yet I find myself remaining inside to get chores done instead of stepping out to the sunshine. Because, really, the dust and dog hair can wait another 30 minutes – it’s waited this long, right? Making breakfast can hold off 5 or 10 minutes so I can sit outside with my morning tea and watch the colors change across the sky.
All the earth honors the Lord; all the earth’s inhabitants stand in awe of him.
Psalm 33:8
And so I endeavor to purposely make room to stand in wonder. I intentionally create space in the life of my family to be in awe. Some mornings my son and I are the first up and in the quiet of the house we snuggle on the couch, looking out the front window. Together from here we whisper about the birds we see, the squirrels that scamper and find breakfast. And we smile secret smiles as the sun stretches across our view, ‘turning everything golden’. It isn’t every morning, but I sink into those moments of wonder; I refuse to rush past them. And I hope that he is learning to pause and wonder as well.
A few years ago, when my kids were barely 1 and 2.5, I intentionally decided – with a Holy Spirit nudge of course – that Easter Sunday was going to be our day of wonder. Instead of filling it with a fancy dinner and perfect clothes, I wanted us to draw close together and lose ourselves in the wonder of Him, of what He did. It’s only been a few years, but I find myself excitedly creating plans by the beginning of Lent now.
Don’t misunderstand, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the beautiful Easter dresses and delicious dinners! It just isn’t our family make-up. We all love nature. We find God in creation. So I’m creating a family culture – intentionally – where we have room to chase after that wonder. Not just stumble into it. Especially on Easter.
So, on Easter Sunday, you will find us all in church, rejoicing with our fellowship of believers, and then we will disappear. We will be out in the wild, hearts bent on experiencing the unimaginable things, and giving thanks in awe and wonder. No distractions.
Where do you find wonder? Do you make room in your life to chase after it? To revel in it? Author E.B. White said, “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” And how right he is. I pray that our days exist not simply to move us from one to the other, ticking off tasks and goals. May our hearts soften so that we can raise our hands up and make our world stop.
Because the truth is that for most of us, stopping for five minutes – stopping – won’t really have that much of an impact. You can pull your car over for five minutes into a parking lot and just stop. At worst you’ll be five minutes later getting to that appointment. You can hold off making breakfast or dinner for five minutes. No one will die of hunger. You can sit in your car before going into the gym for five minutes. All the equipment will still be there.
I can assure you, however, that the five minutes while you are stopped…those will impact everything. Five minutes spent standing still, intentionally looking for the wonder, will reset something in your heart.
And you’ll be looking for the rest of your day.
And after enough days have gone by, you’ll wake up and crave the chance to look upon Him in wonder. And the wonder will fill you with gratitude. And the gratitude will be pleasing to Him. And when you walk in pleasing Him, your overflow will hit those around you.
Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken,
let’s continue to express our gratitude.
With this gratitude, let’s serve in a way
that is pleasing to God with respect and awe
Heb 12:28
Father God, we have seen unimaginable things today! Do not let us turn away and fill our time and our hearts elsewhere. Build up in us a craving for You. Stir up in us a delicious wonder as we watch You move and breathe. May our gaze shift in the coming days and weeks. May our time be intentional. Inspire each of us and show us how to create a culture of wonder within ourselves, within our families. Help us to honor and glorify you, Lord, in all our ways. Amen.
If you want help to move into moments of wonder, I find worship is a place to start. Below is a playlist of a few of my favorites. I pray He softens your heart as you listen and that Holy Spirit will teach you how you make room for wonder. Have a blessed, joyful and wondrous Easter.
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