Wow!

 Today, we come to the third of Anne Lamott’s three major prayers, “Wow!” Wow is the prayer that we pray when we are at a loss for other words. “…when we can’t think of another way to capture the sight of shocking beauty or destruction, or a sudden unbidden insight or an unexpected flash of grace.” Lamott talks about the small and large wows--- the small wows being the feel of cool, fresh sheets after a long day; and the large wows being things like fireworks displays, Yosemite, or that insight that we sometime receive that we are such a small, small part of a world and galaxy that is larger than we can really comprehend.

Lamott goes on to say that Spring is the season of wow, and I must agree! I think that all of the new life, the warm sun after the cold winter, and the sudden appearance of blooms on bushes and trees that have been dormant are all causes for “Wow!” I recently got back from a trip over the past weekend, and there were lots of “wows”….the most notable being as I rode on a zipline that crossed a ravine. We were about 300 feet up in the air, and the zipline was close to 2000 feet--- as I rode the tree tops touched my feet.  I definitely breathed out a lot of “wows” as I looked around at the beauty of Spring, riding over the treetops, but there were also some prayers of, “God, please get me through this and down from here!”

And I think that’s okay, too. Our prayers, our “help, thanks, and wow” prayers that Lamott talks about, aren’t always singular. We can be so overwhelmed, by something great or not so great, that we add a help to our wow, or a thanks to our help, knowing that God will come through for us!

I think that the best combination of these prayers, however, is the “wow, thanks!” combination. When we experience something so great that we are left with no words, I think its appropriate to both express our awe and our gratitude. God does so many things for us that are beyond what we deserve or can even imagine! James 1:17 tell us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” God gives us good and perfect gifts. Whether it be a sunrise, a rain storm, a family member or friend, or even to the most significant gifts of Jesus and salvation, we can find things every day that lead us not only to say, “Wow” but also, “Thanks!”

My encouragement to us today is to find awe in the little things. Think of the last time you saw a child get excited. There is no fear of looking silly, only a reckless abandon and pure joy as kids experience Christmas, or jumping in to a pool, or a chocolate ice cream cone!  There is so much beauty in our world, and so much creativity that God has given to other people that we can enjoy. Don’t worry about how your “wow” looks and sounds to others—feel free to offer it to God as your prayer of awe at what He has done!

Discussion Question:
- What are you in awe of today?