I am wired for long, quiet meandering walks in the woods. Sounds lovely. Never happens. First, we don’t have woods here. Second, meandering walks require lazy afternoons which are few and far between in the season of motherhood in which I find myself.

One day while I was lamenting my lack of time to marvel and meander, the Lord was quick to remind me that I can reclaim even small crevices of time to do short, yet soul-reviving stints outside. Thus began my wonder walks.

Every day I try to take a wonder walk. Sometimes they last 2 minutes, sometimes twenty. Admittedly, some of these walks can barely be called walks. They are often more momentary jaunts from the car to the next sporting event or errand; yet, even on these pathetic excuses for wonder walks, the intentionality of actually looking for beauty right where I am leads me to moments of wonder and worship.

This week, while taking a short walk on our busy street, the sheer beauty of commonplace plants that are a dime-a-dozen here shook me. Though these plants are His lower creation, they put me to shame in their obedience.

Hoping and Humming

The bright bougainvilleas
Make me blush at my dullness;
Quick are they to do His bidding,
While all of me is slowness.

The picayune poppies
Correct my closed-off heart;
So easily they open up,
Yet I must be pried apart.

The slight, sonorous songbirds
Train my reticent tongue;
Before my heart is roused,
Their worship set has begun.

Daily Your lower creation
Carefully chastises its crown,
Bidding us to take our place
In declaring Your renown. 

All creation awaits on tip-toe
The full redemption coming;
Yet while it yearns and hopes,
Simultaneously it is humming.