Wonder

When did we forget to find magic in the simple things? When did we decide that “growing up” meant letting go of the wonder of the past?

As children we would look at everything with wide eyes, taking in everything even though we didn’t understand it all yet. Now we’re older, and somehow we forgot how to look at things the way we used to. We rush through life, always looking down to our feet, phone, or the cracks in the cement, same thing we see every day. Even the days start to run together after a while. We get into a routine, the exciting becomes the mundane, then gradually life becomes… dull.

We’ve lost something.

When the lion roars, do our ears perk up with awe? Or do we hear just that. A lion’s roar. Something we’ve heard before. Nothing new.

Let me let you in on a secret. Growing up doesn’t mean losing wonder.

Did you know that a hummingbird’s heart rate can beat at 1,260 beats per minute? Or did you know that peregrine falcons can dive at speeds of over 200 miles per hour? Maybe that the wolf can smell things for 1.75 miles in any direction. The golden plover, a bird as tall as a blade of grass, makes an annual trip of 2,500 miles without stopping. Ever. 88 hours of flight time.

Have you given thought to the wonders we have that we don’t even notice? The fact that there is just the right mixture of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. Mountains. Oceans. Lakes. Sunsets. Flowers. Valleys. Trees. Color. Beauty. Friendship. Family. Seasons. Home. Food. Education. The wind that blows on our faces during a bike ride.

What a wonderful world we’ve been given, yet when was the last time that you let yourself be alone and breathed it in? Let it sink in. Take your time. Smell the roses. Thank God for it. He made it all for us because He can, you know. Don’t you think that we ought to take our time and enjoy it?

The bees buzzing around, a rain shower here and there, tulips and daffodils popping up like little pockets of sunshine all around; don’t be afraid to slow down. Be still. Let it in. Rest in the wonder of an amazing God that cares even for the sparrows and the sea of stars above.