‘God’s splendor is a tale that is told; his testament is written in the stars. Space itself speaks his story every day through the marvels of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship. Each day gushes out its message to the next, night with night whispering its knowledge to all.’ Psalms 19:1-2
It was a beautiful summer night. We were grown adults, but we felt like kids as we ran outside to watch the night sky. There was going to be a meteor shower and I wanted to see it. Grabbing a big quilt out of the closet I yelled, “let’s go” and ran to the back yard. My brother, a stoic man we lovingly call “the professor”, followed behind almost as excited as I was. Spreading the king sized quilt out on the grass, we laid down to watch an unobstructed view of the sky.
We waited like giddy little kids for what seemed like forever. We talked and we laughed about how silly it was to be laying in the backyard late at night. We enjoyed each other’s company like never before. Then, all of a sudden, stars began to shoot across the sky! Wide eyed, we laid there, watching the stars dance, filled with wonder in that moment.
This memory is seared in my mind. It stands out, not so much because of the actual meteor shower, which was pretty cool, but the time spent with my brother waiting on the heavens to come to life and declare the glory of God. With no technology, noise or business of everyday life, time stopped. For the first time, in a very long time, I felt at peace as we experienced the grander and wonder of God’s creation.
In this moment, I remembered what it felt like to have that childlike wonder of the world around me. For one night, we felt like kids again.
We all want to experience the wonder and awe of God moving on the earth today. We look for it in the grand don’t we? We want to see the wonder of God in bigness because we know God is a big God and nothing is beyond His ability. However, I have found that the wonder and the glory of God are often manifest in the tiniest of things.
Light saber fights in the living room that makes a little boy laugh. Building a snowman when no one else wants to go out in the cold. Digging in the back yard for hidden treasure knowing it’s there if you just dig deep enough. Walking down a wooded trail, wondering what you might find or what is on the other side. Adventure, wonder, and excitement! Life. We are surrounded every moment of every day with wonder. If only we would look up and see it, feel it, touch it, and come alive to this moment in time that God has placed us in.
As years pass, it becomes more difficult to just be and experience unobstructed joy. The business of life takes first place in determining how we feel and live. To find that place of peace, joy and wonder takes intentionality and thought. This season, I think the Lord would have us not just slow down, but stop for a few moments and just be. We can create intentional pockets of time where nothing but experiencing the presence of God and His creation take front and center in our lives. These are the moments that will be forever etched in our minds. These are the moments that we store up so that we can stay connected to the true expression of our lives. These are the moments we will cherish and hold most dear.
‘Revive us, O God! Let your beaming face shine upon us with the sunrise rays of glory; then nothing will be able to stop us.’ Psalms 80:3
