During the month of April, the writers at Living the Story celebrate our ability to Rise and grasp the wonder of Christ as we walk out Eastertide. Today, Margaret Feinberg shares how we nurture awe and live wonderstruck in the every day.
[serialposts]In our modern culture, we aren’t really taught to nurture a sense of wonder.
Yet from the very beginning of Genesis, we get a glimpse creating endless surprises in the sky, sea, and land, all the way to the closing of Revelation where we see God seated on the throne with peels of lightening and thunder and creatures beyond description, we serve a God who is full of wonder. Indeed, our God is Wonderful.
Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Do you see it? Our worship of God, in part, is to be fueled by a sense of awe.
And so if we, who claim to be followers of Jesus, lovers of God, and aren’t experiencing any wonder of who God is in our lives, then maybe we need to ask some hard questions:
Where have I reduced God?
Where I have compartmentalized God?
Where I have told God—either aloud or in my attitudes and actions—you can have access to this part of my life but not that part?
Or worse, where have I said, God, I only want this much of you in my life. I don’t want the fullness of you are.
When we begin nurturing a desire for God’s wonder in our lives, when we begin praying for wonder, in essence, we’re saying, “God, I want all of you. Reveal all of who you are in every area of my life.”
Here are three activities to help nurture the wonder of God in your life and help you to live wonderstruck:
1. Glimpse the world through a child’s eyes. When was the last time you glimpsed world through someone under the age of 10? They’re naturally gifted at seeing everything from a different perspective—and not just because of their height. They notice details, colors, textures, and sounds that we often miss. Kids have an uncanny ability to find joy in the smallest discoveries, the simplest experiences. Spend time with a niece or nephew—if you don’t have kids. Offer to babysit for someone who could really use a night out. And instead of playing a video, make time to play and see the world through their eyes.
2. Explore of countless wonders of science. Science is laced with the wonders of God and can leave us breathless in the wake of its discoveries. Pick up a copy of The Beautiful Universe by Brian Greene to find yourself awestruck by string theory. Spend some time studying the inner workings of a beehive to be reminded of the brilliance of God. Research one animal or insect and get to know everything you can—you’ll be awed before you know it.
3. Spend an afternoon with a lifelong friend. You can buy just about anything online—but one of the things money will never be able to buy is a 10- or 20-year-old friendship. Carve out time to spend a few hours with someone who knew you way-back-when. The friend who still loved you when you had that haircut, went through that breakup, survived that crazy stage of life with you. Drink in the sweet warmth of knowing and being known and rekindle of the wonder of friendship in your life.
Now it’s your turn. Link up your post on how you live wonderstruck in the every day. Then come back Monday, May 6, to read our featured post from the collection.
I’m so glad you are here Margaret, these are some great questions I’ve taken to heart. I actually was wonderstruck by #1 yesterday at church. So mesmerized by the children that I could hardly pay attention to the sermon. (Luckily my husband wasn’t speaking.) God spoke to me through them.It’s good to remember what it is like to see through their complete abandonment and freedom to be who they are.
The childlike faith is something to be celebrated. Thanks, Shelly, for hosting the Wonderstruck book club. I’ve loved reading these posts on how God is revealing himself to each of you!
Beautiful post, Margaret. It’s amazing what you see when you live with your eyes wide open. He’s everywhere. Love those moments in my day that remind me of this too.
Living life with your eyes wide open! Yes! My prayer each and every day. Thanks, Eileen!
i really resonated with that last one, Margaret.
as resounding as the earth and the skies are to the glory of God, right now He’s bringing me to the place of jaw-dropping wonder at *relationships*. as you so beautifully said, “the sweet warmth of knowing and being known”.
thank you for these words. they speak of the discovery of a very risen Christ.
Yes! In something so easily overlooked or taken for granted, God can reveal so much of his character.
Children do it for me….especially the birth of a child….I have given birth to 5 children and I got to see the birth of my granddaughter…every time it makes me wonder….how can anyone not believe in The Creator after experiencing this awesome wonder….also counting all His gifts has awaken me to His beauty….beauty of character….and beauty through creation…I spent the first half of my life asleep to His wonder…I am so thankful to you and Ann V….I am now living a more worshipful….wonderstruck life 🙂
So grateful to have awakened to the wonder of God, Ro. Thrilled you’re on this journey, too. Love me some Ann. 🙂
Yes, yes a thousand times yes. I identify with ALL three. My niece is ten, but is special needs so she is still discovering so much. When I am with her, my world is opened in a totally new way everytime, and also nature which has always been a huge part of my life, thanks to parents who saw the importance of teaching me from a very young age how important it is. And friendship, there is SO much I could say about that…..your book has impacted me in so many ways, and I thank Shelly and Duane for starting this book club. Thank you for writing it!! Lori
Isn’t it amazing how children can open our eyes up to the wonder of God so easily? Amazing!
I love the recommendation to research an animal or insect. I don’t typically enjoy science, but as my children and I read about bees and how they make honey, and the fact that man can not make honey in a factory, that honey is strictly created by bees, created by God, I am in awe of how amazing this is, how God literally thought of EVERYTHING… This leaves me fully Wonderstruck and in absolute awe of his might and creativity. So glad you’re here today, Margaret.
Kris– I LOVE bees (well– not the stinging part)! I wrote a book called Scouting the Divine and explored all the references to bees and honey in Scripture and got to hang out with a beekeeper. So cool.
Okay, just the mention of the word science tends to give me pounding headache, and not in a good way. Home school baggage, I guess. But. I see your point. I had to Google to remember who said it, but Johannes Kepler said science was a practice of thinking God’s thoughts after him.
The other two suggestions are just lovely, and they speak to my soul. A lifelong friend is a gift indeed. And, having recently become a grandma–something I mention on the internet but rarely, I am so looking forward to renewed opportunity to see the world through a child’s eyes. Few things in life compare to the joy of this grandma gig–talk about being Wonderstruck.
Thanks for hosting the conversation this week, Margaret. Abundant blessings to you.
Margaret, It is so true that we tend to put God in a box of our own making. Our church just went through a sermon series on “God is Greater Than …”. You can fill in the blank with “worries”, “cancer”, “sin”, whatever you want to put in the blank and God is still greater than. I am just beginning to see that God is so much bigger than I imagined. Your book has helped me see that, and being healed of cancer has also taught me that God is amazing!
Margaret, I apologize for the wrong linky — having a blonde moment/day, so please ask that my link be removed!
I’m always wonderstruck by nature, especially in the spring. But I’m highly left-brained, and have always marveled at Physics! The precision, the mechanics, the way math meets science. It offers an explanation of so many things. I still remember labs — something crazy like rolling a ball down an incline & how figuring out how far it would roll before it came to a stop. (yes, super-nerdy) What a great feeling to actually understand it!
And to think that the God of the universe would give a skinny teenage girl the capacity to learn it and the joy of comprehending it — He is amazing!
Hey Susan, I’m on it regarding the linky. Glad you stopped by.
How fun, Margaret is here! Hungry for #3 right now. Just shared this post, and I’m excited to bounce around and read post from those who linked-up!