The sun was setting as the dogs and I finished our late afternoon walk. The cool, crisp air smelled fresh and seemed to bring out the fragrance of the season. As we rounded the corner, I looked in the sky at the vivid colors, shades of orange and purple that reached across the horizon as far as I could see. It was a glorious sunset, and the dogs sat at my feet as we gazed at the sky. We were in awe of nature, and we spent quiet moments soaking it in. As I made my way home, I thought about the word. Awe. The definition is to inspire. Admiration. Astonishment. Wonder. I remembered moments this past year that left me in awe – moments that changed my perspective, outlook, and my purpose. As I reflected on the past year, I wanted to stay in that awesome moment.
One of the best things Skipper and I committed to in 2021 was to ask each other at the end of each day what lessons we had learned. It didn’t matter whether the day was good or bad, we still asked each other to share the teachable moments. I’ll admit, there were days when I wondered if I had encountered any teachable moments. But the answer was always yes. Asking those questions at the end of every day was the best gift we gave ourselves in 2021. We learned more lessons than we could count, experienced more growth than we could measure. The questions made us realize that what broke our hearts also changed our vision and gave us clarity. It was one of our words for 2021: Clarity.
Clarity changed our perspective and helped drown out the noise so we could focus on the mission at hand. This has been a year of many things that filled us with awe—some good, others not so good. In fact, the word awe means “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.” I remember looking up in the sky around Christmas of last year, in complete awe to see Jupiter and Saturn connecting above us. It was an occurrence that happened only once in nearly a thousand years. It was a precious memory for us.
I love how my favorite author, Ann Voskamp put this moment into words: Maybe this is the very year of the last 800 years that most needs us to look up to the starry heavens to a blazing Christmas star drawing us all to focus less on self and focus on how to be a light for others. Because whenever we feel small with awe, we love each other large. When we live full of awe, it moves us to change what is awful in the world.
I might choose “awe” for my 2022 word because I want to be aware of and in constant awe of all God is doing. I don’t want to miss miracles and blessings because of trivial things. New seasons bring awe. I want to love in awe. Give to others in awe. And even if I only play a small part, help fix what is awful in the world. If we look for “awe”some things, even on the hard days, we will find them!
A few weeks ago we visited Happy Hands Educational Center, and once again, I saw awe in the eyes of children. It warmed my heart to see
the smiles on their faces as they looked at Santa and the gifts. This, I told myself, should be how I see every day—awed by every moment and all that it holds. Every day is a gift from God, a blessing, and another opportunity.
the smiles on their faces as they looked at Santa and the gifts. This, I told myself, should be how I see every day—awed by every moment and all that it holds. Every day is a gift from God, a blessing, and another opportunity.
When you go through a tough season, it makes you appreciate coming through to the other side. The moments of awe are more breathtaking. I want to keep a joyful heart like the children when they glimpsed Santa. I long for a childlike faith that isn’t drowned out by the noise of life.
Mother Teresa said, Do small things with great love. I pray your 2022 will be filled with loving awe towards others, and a new season filled with awesome miracles and moments. As we head into the New Year, a reminder that “the greater our sense of awe, the greater our sense of connection.”
Happy Awesome 2022 everyone!
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