“Wonder pulses through every atom of creation & through every precious one of us.” (Cindee Snider Re)
REDISCOVERING WONDER
Wonder – to be amazed, enthralled, curious, awestruck, fascinated, surprised, transfixed
I want to feel all those things often, yet pain and illness can coat my days with a sticky, opaque film of brain fog and fatigue. How can I stand transfixed by wonder when I’m exhausted, lonely, and dispirited?
Yet wonder is a rich invitation to peel back the cloudy film, to be captivated by the morning light sparkling like diamonds on the undulating surf, to be surprised by an iridescent dragonfly, to be transfixed by the fragrance of the Spirit held in every atom of creation.
Wonder invites us to let the brokenness of our bodies slide off our shoulders for a while.
Paraphrasing Psalm 33:8, with breathtaking wonder, let everyone worship Yahweh, this awe-inspiring Creator. The wonder of creation beckons us to see and savor the Lord, to worship the One who spoke everything into being. “Worship the Creator,” writes Sheila Atchley, “delight in His creation.”
IN SEARCH OF WONDER
Nearly a decade ago, four of our five kids and I had just been diagnosed with serious, significant illness. As our world grew increasingly antiseptic, exhaustion obliterated wonder, the surprise was scrubbed away under the swirling heads of industrial floor cleaners, medical research eclipsed awe, and curiosity was carefully cut away by the scalpel of continuous loss.
When we lose the wonder of God’s creation, we lose the wonder of who God is and who we were created to be in Him. God created this entire astonishing universe with a word, speaking creation into being. He created more than 100 billion stars, and He knows them all by name. He knows every sparrow that falls, every hair on our heads, and every day of our lives before even one of them comes to be.
When a friend of a friend reached out and invited me to shoot the cover of her forthcoming e-book, I hadn’t picked up my camera in months, but I suddenly recognized how dry and antiseptic my soul had grown, and I felt a bright little spark of curiosity spring to life. I was thirsty for hope. Hungry for beauty. Desperate for wonder.
STEPPING INTO AWE AND WONDER
Look at the splendor of your skies, your creative genius glowing in the heavens. When I gaze at your moon and your stars, mounted like jewels in their settings, I know you are the fascinating artist who fashioned it all! (Psalm 8:3, paraphrase)
Everything in creation is full of wonder. We are full of wonder. Our broken bodies and minds might not feel full of wonder, but they are because God is present in every detail of His creation.
In Mark 9:15, we read: As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were:
Each of us is unique and one of a kind, purposed and loved beyond comprehension, full of awe and wonder, for we are created by God, for God, and in His image. Every strand of our DNA carries God’s holy imprint.
When was the last time you were overwhelmed, overcome, astounded, or astonished by the wonder of God?
REDISCOVERING WONDER: REJOINING THE JOURNEY
Today, take the first step back into the journey of rediscovering wonder. Step outside. Close your eyes. Breathe deep. Relax your shoulders. Feel the sun on your face. How does the air smell? What is the surface beneath your feet?
Do you hear the breeze whispering in the pines, a bird singing, or an insect buzzing? How many sounds can you identify?
Open your eyes. Notice the patterns of shadow and light. Notice colors and shapes. Pay attention to movement. What catches your eye?
Take a few steps. Watch your shadow as you walk. Where do you sense God moving in the shadows? How is He meeting you in the dark?
Darkness, too, is important. It existed before light and was the canvas for God’s creation. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep…” (Genesis 1:1-2)
Wonder pulses through every atom of creation and through every precious one of us. It is in the faces of those around us, the sunlight streaming through the window, the ladybug perched on the windowsill.
Remember that e-book cover I was invited to shoot? I picked up my camera and rediscovered wonder right where I was … in my daughter’s critical care hospital room.
Are you ready to rediscover wonder? We’ve created a brand-new set of Wonder Walk printables to help you peel back the corner of the cloudy film covering your days and let your soul begin to breathe.
Wonder is waiting for you!
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Where do you see God’s fingerprint today?
2. How does creation help you to step into God’s presence, to know Him better, to long to know Him more?
3. How is God meeting you in the dark?
Cindee Snider Re
Author, Designer, and Co-Founder of Chronic Joy®
Cindee is married to the man she loves most in this world, mom to five adult kids plus a son- and daughter-in-love, and Lolli to an adorable grandbaby. She and four of her kids have Ehlers-Danlos and myriad co-existing conditions. While a life steeped in illness is not what she would have chosen, through it, she’s learning that the deeper the valley, the greater her capacity for joy.
Cindee is the author of Discovering Hope, Finding Purpose, Embracing Worth, and I Take You in Sickness and in Health.
SPARKING WONDER
AN ADVENTURE IN AWE & DELIGHT
Savor God’s holy fingerprint in every atom of creation, engage your senses and cultivate curiosity, listen for the Spirit’s still small voice, and delight in God’s extraordinary creativity. All of creation pulses with God’s creativity!
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