Wonder. It's everywhere at Christmas.
It's a sparkle in the eyes of a child.
It's a cactus wrapped in lights.
It's a ring of candles on the dining table.
It's the aroma of seafood chowder in a china bowl.
It's little things that make me pause and savor them.
It's even in the carols.
"Star of wonder..."
"I wonder as I wander..."
"My soul will magnify the Lord; I rejoice in God my Savior,
And then January comes and I pack away the tree
--well, to be honest, February comes and my husband packs away the tree--
and I make my resolutions and I try to lose weight, and somehow I lose the wonder too.
What if I could keep a sense of wonder all year?
What if it wasn't just a sparkly holiday attitude but a conscious decision to be sensitive to God's presence?
In her new book Wonderstruck, Margaret Feinberg writes:
God is not merely at your fingertips but within your grasp. Live each day like a child digging through a treasure chest, rifling for the next discovery. Open your arms and your eyes to the God who stands in plain sight and works miracles in your midst. Look for Him in your workdays and weekends, in your meeting-filled Mondays and your lazy Saturdays. Search for Him in the snowy sunsets and Sabbaths, seasons of Lent and sitting at your table. Pray for--and expect--wonder. For when you search for God, you will discover Him.
Live awake and aware because the wonder awaits.
When I read Margaret's words, I get that shiny Christmas-is-coming feeling--an anticipation that good things will arrive soon. I want to capture that feeling and revisit it every morning when I read my Bible and gaze out at the mountains. I want to hear it in my children's songs. I want to taste it in my afternoon tea.
The wonder of Christmas is that God is With Us. But He doesn't go away when we put the ornaments in boxes in the garage and vacuum up the last piece of tinsel. God came to dwell with us every day--the holidays and the everydays and the stormy days and the stifling hot days. I want to live awake and aware of Him.
Margaret's book will be released on Christmas Day. I pre-ordered it, planning to dive right into it when it arrives, but now I think I'll wait til January. When the holidays are over, I will need re-awakening. And I know Wonderstruck will do that. Margaret has a gift for expressing truths that point me to God.
Learn more about Wonderstruck and Margaret's other books at margaretfeinberg.com
You can follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook or her blog . You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I’ve seen the book for as low as $7.57 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble.
" Wonder. It's everywhere at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sparkle in the eyes of a child.
It's a cactus wrapped in lights.
It's a ring of candles on the dining table.
It's the aroma of seafood chowder in a china bowl.
It's little things that make me pause and savor them."
I LOVE this!! You're right--so often wonder is found in the small things