Awesome has become a popular word in the last few years and yet what do we really mean when we use it? I don’t use it that much, but I think of the landscape around where I live when I think of “awe”. Even the picture on the virtue card shows mountains with peaks and snow.
Awe makes us realize how small we are, as individuals, when compared to the size of the planet earth and when compared to our creator, God. In these days of being worried about getting sick from the virus COVID-19, it is interesting to reflect on how a small thing like a virus can empty the streets of large cities like New York and San Francisco.
When I contemplate working with “awe” this week, I have to keep in mind both the large and the miniature in this world. I am somewhere in the middle. My actions can affect how other people’s lives are. If I am careless, others can be hurt. If I am kind, perhaps I can help others have a better life.
As the gardening season is slowly starting, I find myself in awe of how nature is so complex and yet so beautiful. I’m hoping that with warmer temperatures, the snow will disappear this week and I will be able to help nature fulfill its destiny.
“Awe is deep respect and reverence for the Source of life. It is humility and wonder before the power of God. Contemplating life’s beauty and mystery leads us to communion. Reflecting on our place in the universe, we seem small and insignificant, yet it is awe-inspiring to realize that no one else on earth is just like us. Each of us has a unique potential for reflecting the Divine virtues in our souls. We awaken them by choosing to live them. When we practice awe, we are alert to the signs and wonders placed in our path. We open ourselves to Grace.”
When I practice Awe, I:
- am humble before the power of the Creator
- take time to contemplate and commune
- am aware of the sacredness of life
- cultivate the Divine virtues in my nature
- discern the signs and synchronicities of life
- deepen my connection to Grace.