World Of Wonder

O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.

“Does anyone want to see a sloth?” the tour guide called from the front of the bus.

“Yes!” The bus full of adults chorused agreement, excited chatter following in its wake.

We had just finished a trip to the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park in Costa Rica. During the hours we explored the rain forest, we’d seen a small yellow viper curled up on a branch, watched monkeys swing through the trees with babies on their backs, and admired the industrious leafcutter ants as they carried vegetation. We’d walked across bridges that swayed with every movement—feeling like intrepid explorers with each step—spied a hummingbird nest, and even watched a tiny, poisonous frog disappear into the mass of leaves and trees.

But the one thing we hadn’t seen was a sloth.

The excitement was palpable as the bus pulled up alongside a couple of vans and a gaggle of people. As a group, we sounded like unruly kids, not middle-aged tourists. One by one, we exited the bus and gathered to watch a sloth painstakingly make its way up a tree.

Looking around, I saw wonder reflected on the faces of those near me and felt joy rise from within.

God’s creation is full of wonder, but sometimes it takes a moment that feels extraordinary to jolt us from the mundane nature of our everyday lives. We spy deer along the side of the road, the flash of a cardinal snags our gaze, or the scent of lilacs reaches our nose, and we are reminded of how enchanting and miraculous our world is. Our imaginative God—Creator of all, seen and unseen—gave humans a beautiful gift when he designed the world. Experts say that we have yet to discover all of the creatures on our planet. Yet every plant and animal demonstrates and reflects the creativity of our God; each one is a reason to marvel. He designed them perfectly and purposely.

Let’s choose to seek wonder. Let’s use it as a reason to rejoice in the miracle of God’s creation.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Look for something out of the ordinary—or take a closer look at the birds, flowers, or trees you usually see—to remind you what it’s like to feel wonder.