Wonder

When our daughters were little we took them to Boston Children's Museum -- three floors of "touch everything" displays designed to stimulate and teach youngsters.  It was an exciting day filled with, "girls, look over here," and "let's go here," and "oh, try this out!"  Our two little ladies were overcome with the colors and hands-on activities.  They wanted to climb on and touch everything and go everywhere. 

In trying to make sure our family didn't miss anything, Jim and I devised an orderly strategy to move through the museum but our girls could not contain themselves and they would dart off to whatever caught their attention in any given moment.  I remember gathering up our youngest daughter and trying to explain to this wide-eyed toddler that we would see everything in the building but she needed to stay with us.  She shook her head in agreement and said, "Okay Mommy," the whole time eyeing the object of her next adventure.  As soon as Jim and I turned to look at a display that little one would run toward the newest thing to capture her imagination.  While we felt anxious in trying to keep our curious daughter safe, we enjoyed the unapologetic wonder she was displaying--sheer delight and amazement at what she was seeing and experiencing. 

These days I am not "darting" about through my daily life but I am experiencing wonder.  Looking through our family room windows, I have been watching a chipmunk (I affectionately named him Chippy) gather nuts for the winter.  For days he has run a circuit from his house in the rock to a tree somewhere and back with a nut to be added to his collection.  I have timed him and the whole cycle takes about two minutes and he does it for hours at a time and weeks at a time.  By my estimation, Chippy's diligence has probably resulted in hundreds and hundreds of nuts being stowed in his house in the clef of the rock.  How does that little creature know what to do to prepare for the cold season that is coming?

This week I noticed that our Christmas cactus has buds all over the plant and sure enough the first vibrant pink blossom opened today (I decided that it is a retail cactus because its starts Christmas on the first of November every year like all the retail stores).  How is it that I can count on that cactus blossoming the same time every year?

Recently Jim and I visited both of our daughters who are now grown and trained as artists.  In observing the work of their hands, we are in awe.  How did the creative spark that started in their minds result in such beautiful artistry?

I'm finding that experiencing wonder is delightfully unorganized and spontaneous.  And it's that spontaneity that allows us to step outside of our schedules and "have tos" to pursue serendipities with child-like wonder.  Don't miss the wonder!  It's all around you.

The Psalmist says, "Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare."