Finding a Sense of Awe

"We are perishing for lack of wonder, not for lack of wonders.”

―G. K. Chesterton

We have an awesome God. AWEsome. So where has our sense of awe gone?

Sometimes it is really hard to have a sense of awe or wonder about the world around us. If you live in any one place for years, you often become so accustomed to the world around that it is very difficult to find anything that invokes a sense of wonder in us.

I recently have had the opportunity to travel to some wilderness areas in Colorado. Here I was overtaken by the beauty of the mountain and pine trees. Again, I was filled with the wonder of God's creation.

There is something about staring at an expansive vista, millions of stars in the night sky, or the clear waters of a rushing waterfall, that reminds us of how small we are as a part of the world, and how blessed we are to have been created by such an amazing God.

Sure, finding a sense of awe is easy when gazing at 10,000 foot mountain vistas, but I live in a boring desert (or city, or apartment etc.) How can I find wonder and awe where I am right now?

Find wonder in the little things.

A child's laugh. The night sky. A tiny, intricate wildflower. A tiny, intricate weed (yes, weeds can be pretty too.) A sunset or sunrise. Falling snow. A monsoon rain.

These are little things we encounter everyday that we often fail to notice. Sometimes we are so connected to our screens, our work, our school, that we fail to notice the little moments of beauty and awe that God provides us with everyday.

What's the big deal about wonder?

So you may be curious why I'm writing about having a sense of awe. Why is it important to live with a sense of awe? Can't we just go on living as we always have?

You could, but life is much less interesting and much more stressful that way.

When we are filled with awe, something amazing happens inside us. We are no longer just humans walking aimlessly on this earth, going to work, going to school, caring for our families. We become part of something much larger than ourselves. When we are filled with wonder several things happen:

You feel happier

You have a greater sense of gratitude for the world around you

Your stress level goes down

And most importantly...

You feel like part of something, loved by God, who chose to create you and make you a part of His world.

So today, take a few moments to really absorb the world around you, to look for wonder in the little things, and to be awed by this amazing world we live in.