“Isn’t It Amazing!”

How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.

–Psalm 111:2, NLT

“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.”  ―John Calvin

If he said it once, he said it a thousand times: “Isn’t it amazing!” “He” (Mario) was our guide for two weeks in Costa Rica—and an excellent, memorable guide he was.

Costa Rica is one of those geographical gems that shouts, “Look at what the Creator has done—be amazed at the splendor!”

Splendor indeed. Rainforests replete with exotic animals; briny rivers teeming with man-eating crocodiles; mountains burgeoning with lush vegetation; and miles of sandy beaches buttressed by turquoise waters. Our group was seeing this magnificent landscape for the first time, so, of course, we were awed into “oohs” and “aahs” at every turn. To us it was absolutely amazing—because it was and is!

But perhaps more amazing than our amazement was that Mario, our guide par excellence, found those very same things amazing—like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning.

What’s so special about that, you may be thinking? Well, this: familiarity breeds contempt, and if not contempt, then certainly apathy. Here in Alabama, we are surrounded by extraordinary examples of the “amazing,” yet because of its familiarity to us, we rarely take note of it, so that what is extraordinary becomes for us merely ordinary—not much worthy of our notice.

Isn’t it amazing that we can unwittingly allow apathy to overtake us to the point of not stopping to “smell the roses” or to enjoy their exquisite beauty?

Maybe, just maybe, we can be nudged out of our complacency to once again be amazed at the resplendent beauty of God’s creation all around us.

Gaze into the face of a newborn baby and be amazed at innocence and purity. Watch and listen to children at play and be amazed at joy and spontaneity. Take a walk and stop along the way to observe a wildflower and be amazed at delicacy and coloration. Sit outdoors for awhile and listen to our feathery friends sing and be amazed at orchestration and composition. Get lost in a sunset and be amazed at brilliance and originality. Hold the hand of one you love, and don’t be in a hurry to let go—and be amazed at true companionship and unconditional love.

And how about this for the grand finale: stand in front of a mirror in utter amazement, and with a heart bursting with gratitude, thank our Abba Father that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in His divine image—and be amazed…be truly and genuinely amazed!

Isn’t it amazing? It surely is. 78

A fellow beggar along the Way,

Greg