By Kaitlin Klein
Wonderful Adventure
Lately, I’ve been drawn in wonder to the unimaginable greatness of God. Leading up to and after experiencing the solar eclipse, I borrowed some children’s books from the library to help my little kids prepare for and understand the phenomenon, and I ended up learning a lot as well! Since then, my husband and I have watched a few documentaries about space, the sun and the stars. They have left me astonished at the handiwork of God, the precision of multiple factors that sustain life on Earth, and the unlikeliness of our planet and its inhabitants being created and existing due to chance.
My kids and I studied the ocean for our homeschool this year (at a kindergarten level), and there are fantastic creatures, huge and minuscule, both dark and brightly colored, in all shapes and sizes, demonstrating such a diverse collection of God’s creativity. We were fascinated by animals in symbiotic relationships and how each animal and plant receives what it needs from its environment. I ordered a handbook of nature study for next year, and even flipping through that, seeing the detailed drawing of the leg of a katydid and the symmetry of beautiful flowers opens my mind and heart to wonder at the greatness of God; and from there, the smallness of me.
When we allow ourselves to wonder, we naturally pause. We take a breath, we open ourselves … our minds and our hearts, to contemplate. When I try (and fail) to comprehend the expanse of the universe, the distance between the stars, the temperature of the sun, grains of sand on the shores, the number of hairs on my head, and how he can count them all, the tiniest mustard seed … I am drawn closer to the Lord, and I feel his embrace. I am reminded of the song “Consider the Stars” by Keith and Kristyn Getty:
“Consider the stars in the sky
Look up and wonder, can you count their number?
Consider the stars in the sky
Umbrella to hide in, a dance floor of heaven
Do not be afraid
He who made all of this
And who holds all of this
Holds you in His hands”
Learning about creation points me to the Lord. Experiencing the beauty of nature draws me to God. Contemplating the goodness of our Creator, and his incomprehensible love, is peaceful consolation. I invite you to take an experience or a curiosity or an observation, hand it to the Lord, and let him draw you close.