A Standing Ovation

I like to attend ballets, plays and concerts. At the end of the event, I join in the applause for what the performers have accomplished. If it's fabulous, I give a standing ovation.

This week I had a standing ovation day.

Currently I am in Pagosa Springs, Colorado with the kids on spring break. On Wednesday we had a memory-making time on a mountain pass outside of Durango. The majestic snow-topped mountains stood as sentinels as we snowshoed to a perfect sledding hill where we played and laughed as we flew down the slope and huffed and puffed our way back up, trying to suck some oxygen out of the thin air at 11,000 feet. Soon coats and sweatshirts were stacked in a pile around sleeping baby Jasmine as we were warmed by the hot Colorado sun.

We marveled at Zach's elfish ability, like Legolas in Lord of the Rings, walking on top of the drifts while the rest of us trudged behind. While building snow animals (a bear, a sea turtle and a penguin), Katelyn lost her left boot in a mysterious black hole that sucked it 6 feet below the surface where it had to be rescued by cousin Darrin.

A sun-kissed clear blue day. An untouched canvas of white snow. Belly laughter.

Three generations of family. No pressing agendas. It was a good day.

A standing ovation day.

I don't know about you, but there is something deep in my soul that longs for creation's beauty; something that needs to escape the concrete pavement, the towering buildings and noise of life in a city. My soul hungers for it. I need moments in a snow bank or next to the ocean or out on a hiking trail to achieve balance in my life.

In the book, Primal, Mark Batterson contends that "The mind is educated by facts, but the soul is educated with beauty and mystery. And the curriculum is creation."

The psalmist David enjoyed writing about creation and applauding the Master Designer. Psalm 19 begins with the words, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

In Psalm 29 he writes, "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders." A star-splashed sky. Ear-pounding thunder. Rushing water. These created works stir up gratitude, awe and wonder.

I agree with Batterson who believes that "As our wonder grows, so does our soul."

Do you need an increase in your soul? Maybe you can't go on vacation right now or travel hundreds of miles to experience nature, but the wonder of God's creation is all around us. You can find it in a baby's smile. In a flower growing in a garden or along a roadside. In the mischief of a puppy. In the hug from a friend. In an orange blossom in springtime. God's wonder is everywhere. The challenge is recognizing it and appreciating it.

When was the last time you gave God a standing ovation?