Awe-Some

Take the Miracle Moment Challenge:

Reflect back to your most recent experience of wonder.
What could you do to capture that feeling more frequently?
How do wisdom and wonder intersect?
-The Miracle Collectors

Wonder and miracles are intertwined; you can’t have one without the other. The word miracle comes from the Latin word mirari meaning to wonder. Einstein concluded that if we can no longer wonder or marvel or be drawn to experiences of mystery, we are “as good as dead.” Socrates considered wonder the beginning of wisdom.

Nowhere is there a better intersection of wonder and miracles than can be found in nature where experiences of wonder are available to everyone. As I sit at my writing desk, large, fluffy snowflakes are falling, a common enough occurrence in NYC but, maybe it’s the California girl in me, it never seems to get old. Scientists hypothesize that no two snowflakes are alike; many are flat stars with “…six or twelve points each decorated with matching branches of lace in an array of possibilities.” I wonder what these ice crystals have to teach us about the importance of seeing the common in an uncommon way as they make their way from the heavens to the ground. Perhaps, simply, there is a pleasant surprise in knowing that each one carries a dazzling array of possibilities, as we all do, if we look beyond the surface. And, that nature is a gift that offers us ample opportunities for beauty, joy, and even humor.

I’ve often wondered whether God has a sense of humor. If so, it was on full display this week as a story went viral about a rare agate stone from Brazil that, when opened, shared a rather striking resemblance to Cookie Monster. Nature, it seems, has something to say about the unbelievable and the whole gamut of human emotions. When we experience awe, we find ourselves in the comfort of a universe constantly pulling us toward the magical and the sublime. (Katie)