Recapturing the Wonder of God

“Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy” (Psalm 65:8 NLT).

Sunshine bathed my dining room one spring morning. Unbeknownst to me, its warmth melted the wrapped European chocolates sitting in a dish on the table.

My grandchildren popped in for an unexpected visit at noon. Anna and Luke, ages five and three at the time, discovered the softened sweets. “Oh no, Grandma,” Anna exclaimed. “They’re melted! What should we do with them?”

“Put them in the fridge,” I said. “Then they’ll harden and be easier to eat.”

Anna checked on the chocolates an hour later. “You were right, Grandma!” she exclaimed. “Look—they’re hard now. Wow! How did that happen?” Her awe made me smile.

Living life with a sense of wonder and awe seldom happens in adulthood.

Work and worry often blind us to the miracles that surround us. We rush through our days focused on silencing the tasks calling for our attention, and we miss the delights before us.

My grandchildren restore my perspective. Seeing life through their eyes reawakens me to wonders such as a ladybug’s spots, a daisy’s petals, an ant’s activity, and a bird’s nest. It renews my awe at the Creator’s ingenuity.

Living on a boat has also restored my perspective. I’m more alert to the resident heron standing in the mud on its stalk-like legs, the ringed ripples on the river after a fish jumps, lacey spiderwebs dripping with raindrop pearls, and sunrises rich in colors that defy description.

Creation’s majesty and intricacies leave me speechless. Sometimes the only word I can muster is, “Wow!” But here’s what leaves me even more amazed—the Creator’s love for us.

Think about it.

The One whose handiwork leaves us in awe is the same One who loves us and wants relationship with us. I suspect the Psalmist felt the same way when he wrote these words:

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?
Yet you made them only a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You gave them charge of everything you made,
    putting all things under their authority—
the flocks and the herds
    and all the wild animals,
the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
    and everything that swims the ocean currents.
(Psalm 8:3-8 NLT)

Today, let’s ask God to open our eyes to the wonders He’s created. Let’s celebrate His creative genius. Let’s stand in awe of who He is and marvel that He loves us and wants relationship with us.