This year we are focusing on “Living Everyday Wonder.” What about those days when we are at work and the tasks immediately ahead of us appear to have everything except wonder? On the worst days, drudgery might be a more apt description. I suggest that in these moments, a sense of wonder can bring meaning and purpose to our everyday lives.
Wonder shifts us from a laser focus on what is immediately in front of us to a sense of connecting this moment with the Beauty, Power and Presence of the Divine. It is amazing to simultaneously experience the Oneness of our existence, of all existence, with the conversation or task in the here and now. It is like we are living with one foot in the spiritual world of Oneness and miraculous possibilities and one foot in the physical world where the Infinite Invisible is continuously pouring into form.
Approaching our work with wonder gives meaning and importance to great accomplishments that seem to happen instantaneously and to expansive projects that build upon completing one small task after another. Working with a sense of wonder is like the difference between two workers laboring side by side. When asked what they are doing, the first worker says, “I am laying bricks.” The second worker pauses, looks upward, and says, “I am building a cathedral!”
Sometimes our egos only find worth in ostentatious major accomplishments. This attitude negates the importance of each step to create a great work. Without a solid foundation, the most ostentatious superstructure will soon fall. Focusing on only the final product also forgets the importance of the people who supported the team with nourishing food, jovial conversation, raw materials, transportation, child care and cleaning the workplace for the next morning. Working with a sense of wonder unites the entire team behind the vision of the cathedral they are building together. Wonder also creates a sense of awed admiration and respect for each team member and their contribution. Each person matters – as do you!
Love and light,
Rev.Pam
