Wonder

Nothing touches the wonder of Nature for me.  Some even believe Nature is God.  I am certain that I cannot distinguish the two.  There are times when that wonder takes my breath away.  This evening is one of those times: I have felt like I was worshipping at the altar of the park behind my home.

Just as I was coming out of the Metro this evening, the first flakes of what was predicted to be a light snow were beginning to fall.  By the time I made dinner and had eaten it, the park behind my apartment had been transformed into a winter wonderland.  I stepped out on my balcony to get a better look, and millions of unique flakes had woven lacy doilies on all of the trees.  I could hear the rushing of the creek below and leaned out to feel the light cool splashes as flakes hit my hand and face. 

I am not much of a photographer, but I grabbed my iPhone to attempt a picture.  Instead of capturing the beauty of the snow-covered trees, the camera captured the falling snow, making streaks like shooting stars.

I've looked out several times since my first breath-taking view.  Each time the wonder engenders a sense of humility in me.  Whether God is Nature or God created Nature seems moot to me.  That millions and millions of snowflakes could each have been created uniquely and woven together in such a perfect tapestry leaves me wondering what God has in mind for me. 

I have heard a myth, which I believe to be from the Jewish tradition, that for every single blade of grass, there are 1,000 angels, encouraging the grass to "Grow! Grow!"  That at times I either can't hear, won't hear, or just plain forget to listen seems small of me.  If God who could send such support to a blade of grass and create such a beautiful landscape in what felt like a blink of the eye, I can only ask, what is God trying to do for me, and why do I resist? 

Spiritual surrender is what I like to think of as getting my ego out of the way and letting God be God. Spiritual surrender is not giving up.    Surrounded by the wonder of Nature this evening, I feel personally invited to let God be God--to allow God to do for me what is done for blades of grass, lilies of the field, and trees in the snow. 

Lean-in was voted best new word for 2013.  It implies that when there is resistance to push through it.  I resist spiritual surrender, and I believe that it is now time to lean-in to my resistance, allowing God to grace me as part of Nature's creation.