A Wonder-Filled World

Here are some of my memories of wonder from the year:

This fall, my husband and I walked in the Olympic National Park. I’ve walked this forest trail before, and the large trees always amaze me. A peace and quiet settled into me as I walked and looked. I watched a small Hermit Thrush at the base of a big tree. What a wonder-full world we live in with big trees and little birds!

A couple of months ago, I was on my weekly birding and praying walk when I saw a man with binoculars looking across the river. I couldn’t see what he was watching, so I asked, and he pointed to a Great Blue Heron. Together we watched as the heron caught and ate a fish. The man told me that he was from Thailand. Across a language barrier, we shared our appreciation for the Great Blue Heron, a nearby Osprey nest, and the spawning salmon in the river. Once again, I remembered that sharing wonder enlarges it.

A friend gathered a group of women for a sewing circle that involved no sewing, but lots of good conversation. Many of us didn’t know each other, but we easily connected as we shared food and stories. My friend told a story that is so funny and so wonderful that the memory of it still makes me happy weeks later. What a wonderful thing it is to share stories and laughter around the table!

Wonder has even shown up in unexpected places, including during a gum graft surgery. Before the procedure began, I sensed the periodontist and her assistant’s respect and affection for each other. Then I told a story that made them laugh, and they told cheesy jokes to make me laugh and keep me distracted. I never imagined that I could laugh so much during a gum graft. (And no nitrous oxide was involved!) Later, when I was recovering at home, I was filled with gratitude at the sense of being held in a circle of care during the procedure. I kept repeating, “Thank you, God. Thank you, God.” Recovery was not fun, but I remained grateful for this circle of care.

Many of my moments of wonder are quiet moments. They include moments of looking out the kitchen window at the maple tree in my backyard, sitting on my deck listening to birdsong, or slowly walking around paying attention to what catches my eye. As David Benner wrote, “Nothing you do can produce wonder. You can, however, be open to it, and you can welcome it. You can make space for it.”¹

Where did you experience wonder in the last year?

Looking ahead to the new year, how can you practice being open to wonder and welcoming it into your life?

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1. David Benner, Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human (Grand Rapids, MI: BrazosPress, 2011), 114.