7 Thoughts on Wonder from G.K. Chesterton
“O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.”
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Wonder is a word that is synonymous with other words such as surprised, awe-filled and inexplicable. It's a beautiful thing to keep your sense of wonder at the world around you. I'm sure that's one of the many reasons I'm so drawn to G.K. Chesterton's writings. He was a man that was filled with wonder. The Ethics of Elfland, a chapter within his book, Orthodoxy, is a prime example. I've pulled out some of my favorite quotes on wonder from this chapter of G.K. Chesterton's book, to give you a taste.
Savor these quotes. They will lead you to think on the source of all wonder. Do you feel amazement and wonder when you think of God? If you've lost your sense of wonder, it's not too late to get it back. Ask God to open your eyes to the world around you and open your heart with gratitude to the things he has done.
1. “When we are asked why eggs turn to birds or fruits fall in autumn, we must answer that it is magic. It is not a “law,” for we do not understand its general formula. It is not a necessity, for though we can count on it happening, practically, we have no right to say that it must always happen.” -G.K. Chesterton
A miracle, magic, whatever you want to call these occurrences, intellectual honesty demands an admission that these things cannot be fully explained through reasoning.
2. “All that we call spirit and art and ecstasy only means that for one awful instant we remember that we forget.”
-G.K. Chesterton
Keep in mind that the literal meaning of the word, awful, means, awe-filled. The word has only recently taken on the connotation of something negative. We often forget that we were made for another world. The world we live in has remnants of that other place, reminders.
3. “The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence it may be a theatrical encore. “ -G.K. Chesterton
God takes delight in what he has made. He called it good. We were made to take delight in his creation. To God be the glory.
4. “For the universe is a single jewel, and while it is a natural cant to talk of a jewel as peerless and priceless, of this jewel it is literally true.” -G.K. Chesterton
Go, look at the stars. Be filled with wonder.
5. “I have always felt life first as a story; and if there is a story there is a storyteller.” -G.K. Chesterton
There is a purpose to everything. Trust the storyteller.
6. “…all good was a remnant to be stored and held sacred out of some primordial ruin. Man had saved his good as Crusoe saved his goods: he saved them from a wreck. “ – G. K. Chesterton
The world, now, is not as God originally created it. Sin entered, bringing destruction, but all is not lost. The good that we find, now, is just a glimpse of what was and what will be, once again, when Jesus comes back.
7. “The goodness of the fairy tale was not affected by the fact that there might be more dragons than princesses; it was good to be in a fairy tale. The test of all happiness is gratitude; and I felt grateful though I hardly knew to whom.” -G.K. Chesterton
It's good to be part of God's story.
Here's a song that will bring a smile to your day. I love this one! Wonder, by Hillsong....
What is filling you with wonder today? Let us know in the comments!
**I will be taking the next two weeks off from my Wednesday posts so that I can have a couple of weeks of vacation with my family. I've already pre-scheduled the Grace and Truth link-ups, so those will be still be here on Fridays. I'll be back here on Monday, August 28th with something I can't wait to share with you! I'm going to tell you all about Renew, online retreat, and I'm going to open up registration! After that, we'll be in September, and the Delight in Doctrine series will be back. Yay!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like, 7 Thoughts on Joy from C.S. Lewis
Linking up with Deb Wolf at #faithandfriends (Friday), #GraceandTruth (Friday), Holly Gerth at #coffeeforyourheart (Wednesday), Susanne Eller at #livefreeThursday, Carmen at #salt&light (Thursday), Kelly at #RaRalinkup (Tuesday), and Lori at #Momentsofhope (Monday)
