Inspiring
Awe
“The
Infinite has written its name on the heavens in shining stars, and on
Earth in tender flowers.”
Jean
Paul Richter
In
our Bible Study class at the nursing home this week, we were asked
what inspires awe in us. Some people said they are most moved by acts
of kindness. Bud, our teacher, told of a recent incident in the
grocery store. Two women were ahead of him in the check-out line. The
woman in front of the line ran out of money and food stamps and was
trying to decide what to put back. The woman behind her simply
reached into her purse and handed some money to the cashier. Bud was
moved by the fact that a total stranger had, without comment, simply
paid for groceries. Another woman in the study group, who had worked
as a social worker, agreed with this. She felt inspired by the
ability of people who live in terrible circumstances to keep
going—to rise above the facts of their lives rather than give up or
give in.
Several
of us said we were most likely to be awed by an ordinary event in
nature—like a beautiful sunset, or a full moon rising over a lake.
One woman told of going into her backyard to fill the bird-feeders.
All the birds except for one flew away as soon as she opened the
door. But one little bird stayed on the feeder. She explained to the
bird that it would have to move while she refilled the feeder, so the
little bird flew the short distance and landed on her arm. Up close,
she could see that the bird was blind in one eye. She walked over to
a shrub and helped the bird onto a limb and then went and refilled
the feeder. Next morning, when she came outside again, the little
bird was sitting in a tree, waiting for her.
Since
daylight savings time came in, I'm sleeping a bit later because it's
still dark. One of the misfortunes of this is that I sometimes miss
seeing the great hawks hunting. The pair of them are enormous and
watching them spread their wide wings and fly tree to tree in search
of breakfast is breathtaking. For reasons I can't explain, close
proximity to birds of prey awes me. Last night, the barred owls were
hooting a symphony. I cracked the window, even thought it was
freezing cold, just to listen.
We
are about to enter the season of rebirth and renewal. It is the time
of year that people cherish most. Seeing the dead Earth wake to new
life every year, right on time, is always amazing. Feeling awe is
like taking tonic—it invigorates us and gets our juices flowing.
What inspires awe in you?
In
the spirit,
Jane
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