Awe and wonder

I am not very organised in the mornings, but I do try to start my day by praying using Pete Greig’s Lectio 365 app to guide me. Friday’s was all about awe and wonder, focusing on the greatness of God from Psalm 65:6-8. 

You establish the mountains by Your power,

robed with strength.

You silence the roar of the seas,

the roar of their waves,

and the tumult of the nations.

Those who live far away are awed by Your signs;

You make east and west shout for joy.

After my prayers I had a very busy day with a leadership meeting in the morning and lunch out followed by preparing for yesterday’s ‘meet the author’ at the local craft fair. So I hardly had a moment to ponder those verses until early evening when my dog needed to go out. Feeling pressured by all I had to do, I took her for the shortest ever excursion down our drive and out onto our country road for her to sniff around. I grabbed my phone as I left the house, wanting to make the best of this little break from busyness and take a photo if anything caught my eye.

And something did. I marvelled at the delicate beauty of wild flowers - rambling honeysuckle blooming, ox-eyed daisies gently swaying in the breeze, half-hidden forget-me-nots, dog roses, flowering grasses. Every one of them fearfully and wonderfully made - often overlooked intricate little masterpieces from our generous Father God. Not one of those plants were sown by us or propagated especially to fill a garden with bright flowers or to win a grower’s trophy -  they are ‘flowers of the field’ growing naturally and beautifully.

God’s gifts to us are boundless. A good father will look after his children and help them to grow into wonderful happy adults by giving them care and balancing the freedom they need with the boundaries that will keep them safe. God’s love for us is beyond our understanding and we can, like the psalmist, stand in awe and wonder and rejoice not only in the natural things but in the way He leads us, has saved us, guides us in our lives and our writing, and is ever-present whether we are at our lowest ebb or riding on the crest of the wave.

I’d love to add the whole of Graham Kendrick’s song entitled ‘Father of the Fatherless’ to this blog, but I’ll settle for the first verse to save infringing copyright: 

O father of the fatherless

In whom all families are blessed

I love the way you father me

You gave me life, forgave the past

Now in your arms I’m safe at last

I love the way you father me

May we always feel awe and wonder at the greatness yet closeness of God our father.

Annie Try’s work is published by Roundfire Books, Instant Apostle, Kevin Mayhew and, as Angela Hobday, by BPS Books and ACER Press as well as internationally. She enjoys speaking at events about faith, writing and psychology.