May this post help you realize why you don’t want to lose your sense of wonder. A sense of wonder comes easily for children. They haven’t been “de-sensitized” by years of day-to-day living, also known as monotony. They don’t take the world and their surroundings for granted.

I’ll never forget the look on my baby’s face when a gentle spring breeze brushed against his cheeks for the first time. His eyes grew wide then closed as he felt the wonder of a breeze.

In order to experience wonder as adults, we usually find ourselves saying, “Wow!” That’s because wonder is something we can’t name. There are no words.

My husband and I attended an event at the Missouri Botanical Garden called the Garden Glow during the holiday season.

It was a crisp, clear night, thankfully, not the bone-chilling kind. As we approached the entrance to the parking lot, we were met with a glorious site that resembled luminous, blue, cascading snow high in the treetops that outlined the entrance. I’m doing my best to describe it, but I had never seen anything like it before.

The event itself was a walking trail of light displays. Music played throughout the walk. Many of the displays danced to the music. It was like being in the middle of a piece of art and symphony performance at the same time.

Unlike other light displays that advertise millions of lights, this was a true experience. I couldn’t name it. Then I did. We had experienced wonder.

No Need to Name Wonder

Prior to this evening I read an article written by a gentleman named Adyashanti. The title drew me in because the article was called Resurrecting Jesus. Also known as Adya, he became a Zen Buddhist because he was drawn to the teachings of enlightenment and awakening. He did not find these teachings in traditional Christianity.

The article was based on his book Resurrecting Jesus. I have not read it, but plan to. What I found fascinating about him is that through his decades of practicing Zen, it left him searching and returning to Jesus.

As what so often happens, once I am fascinated by a subject, more information will show up. Unbeknownst to me, I had recorded an interview with Adya. It was from a program I record each week. I watched it and he mentioned that in Buddhism, when you name or label something, you take away its meaning. I had to sit with that for a bit. So I thought, when you name something, it loses it wonder.

That’s when I realized that I couldn’t name what I saw turning into the Botanical Garden. The meaning was wonder.

Experiencing the Wonder

We have names for everything. That’s how we learn. We call or name an oak tree. It can become just a tree. But when you consider the tiny acorn that turns into a massive tree, how does that happen? Wow! Wonder.

I cook a lot. I also burn my hands a lot when I’m taking something awkward or heavy out of the oven. I’ll have a bright red mark on my hand. A few days later, it’s gone. That’s the wonder of the magnificent bodies that we have. Wow! Wonder.

God keeps the planets revolving, the seasons turning, the sun and moon rising and setting. Wow! Wonder.

The fact that you are reading these words perhaps from across the world right now. Wow! Wonder.

Wonder Cures Monotony

Having a sense of wonder breathes renewed energy and joy into your life. Life without wonder leads to monotony. Having a sense of wonder creates curiosity, appreciation and amazement.

When you look through the eyes of wonder, you will see your children differently, your work differently, your friends differently, and God differently.

Don’t lose the sense of wonder, especially the wonder of God’s never ending love for you.

What wonders have you experienced lately? Please share them in the comments below.

Have you contemplated the wonder of God’s love, or is that view out of focus? I created an eBook and audio book called Bringing God’s View into Focus to Live Life with Joy and Flow. You can download it for free.