“Awe”. This is a word that feels lost in society today. I feel like so many people are stuck with their noses in their phones, or absorbed into the television, video games or other form of distraction that they miss the ‘awe’ that exists all over! Just so we are on the same page, the technical definition of awe (according to dictionary.com) is:
noun
1. a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
“they gazed in awe at the small mountain of diamonds”
synonyms: wonder, wonderment; More
verb
1.inspire with awe.
“they were both awed by the vastness of the forest”
synonyms: filled with wonder, wonderstruck, awestruck, amazed, astonished, lost for words, open-mouthed; reverential
“he spoke in an awed whisper”
When was the last time you looked around and felt awe? I sense it sometimes, like when I think of how complex God made things. Like the Cosmos… They are just vast and awesome! And a baby being created in womb? Holy moly! That is just amazing! The complexities of things all the way to the simplest of things can create awe. Have you ever been in awe of a spider web? I can’t make one…
During the farmhouse rebuild, I have found myself so overwhelmed and busy at times that I have stopped looking for things that are awesome. I lost some of the wonder. Then my friend Scott Kiefer posted this photo that he apparently took on his phone, of a scene he saw while doing his morning run.
The photo got me. I was in awe again. The photo showed so many things that filled me with awe- the depth of the lake, the feeling of mystery behind the fog. I felt excitement wondering what could be at the end of the dock. The little girl (tom boy?) in me wondered how that wood would feel under my feet running down the dock – and how the morning cool lake would feel as I hit the surface. It’s romantic. It’s melancholy. It’s beautiful. It’s awesome.
See, that’s how ‘awe’ is. You have to stop and look for it. It’s not hard to find if you slow down a little. Next time you see an ant carrying something, think of how much of his body mass it’s carrying! When you notice a bumble bee flying, try not to smile while you remember that according to physics, he can’t actually fly. Why anything holds together…
Sometimes you may get completely caught up in the insanity that is life. I am simply asking you to look deeper at the things around you. Ironically, I came across this while scrolling though my distraction – Facebook. But it made me stop and think. A lot. It made me realize I haven’t been enjoying life. So, when I got surprised with a boat ride last week (same day this photo posted) – I PURPOSELY felt the wind and water spray. I PURPOSELY detached from the stresses of life and felt the sunshine. I laughed with my friends. I looked at the lake houses and smiled at the differences in them. I thought about the kids that were playing on the shores, and the other boaters. I prayed the friends I was with would also be present in the moment.
My challenge for you? Find something AWEsome. Look around. Be present. Love the moment. Seize it.
