Spring is a celebration of life and a time of wonder. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help it. Whether it’s the amazing shades of green in the leaves as they emerge, or the constant parade of blooming flowers, or the sounds of the birds, or the warmer air, or longer days, or the smell of fresh strawberries, this season fills me with wonder.
Wonder gets our attention. Wonder fills us with energy and is pregnant with possibility. To wonder is to be astonished, amazed, and surprised. To wonder is to be curious. To wonder is to be filled with awe. To wonder is to question and reflect, and maybe even to be a little afraid.
Wonder is what the disciples of Jesus experienced on Easter morning when they found that Jesus’ tomb was empty. Wonder is the feeling that comes when we are touched by God’s Spirit, even today. Wonder comes when we surprise ourselves by what we are able to do. Wonder sometimes stops us in our tracks. “Wonder,” Thomas Carlyle, an English historian said, “is the basis of worship.”  Little wonder that church attendance is always higher on Easter.
This is a season of wonder, and deep down we all know it. But actually every season brings its own wonder, on every day, and in every circumstance—if we are looking to see it.
How often are we stopped in our tracks at the majesty of creation, or the humble blessing of the gift of life itself? Or the kindness we experience from another human being. Or a gift of love and friendship. Or an unexpected opportunity that comes our way.
Whatever its form, wonder awakens the senses and opens the soul. Our wonder is a sign of God’s presence in our lives.
G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “At the back of our brains, so to speak, there is a forgotten blaze or burst of astonishment at our own existence. The object of the artistic and spiritual life is to dig for this submerged surprise of wonder.” Fortunately at this time of year we don’t have to dig very deep to be surprised with wonder. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, all we have to do is to “Look up and see” (Isaiah 42:18).