A Year of Wonder
“The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.”
Each December for the past several years, I have asked God for a word for the upcoming year. This word then becomes an anchor for prayer, reflection, and meditation. Last year, my husband and I separately received the word “Focus.” What fun to discover God had spoken the same thing to both of us! I only wish I’d been more successful with my attempts to focus throughout the year.
This year’s word dropped into my heart shortly after Christmas, and I knew immediately that it would be life-giving. Wonder! That very evening I experienced wonder as I gazed upon a glorious, fiery sunset that felt like a confirmation. It would have been hard to miss a sunset like that, but upon reflection, I realized distraction and screen addiction have caused me to miss out on much of the wonder that surrounds me every day.
As 2025 came to a close, I finished the book I had been reading and wasn't sure what to reach for next. We were scheduled to set sail in a few days on a cruise with some of our dearest friends and fellow ministry leaders. I’d never been on a Caribbean cruise before and honestly wasn’t even sure if my introvert self could handle the experience. With this in mind, I wanted to read something for pure escapist enjoyment.
While packing my bags, I considered the books on my bedside stack. Nothing jumped out at me. Suddenly, I remembered a book I had purchased on a whim back in October. I wasn’t even sure why I bought it or where I had stashed it. I eventually located it on a shelf in my office and jammed it into my carry-on along with my computer and other travel essentials.
Early the following morning, I boarded the plane to Fort Lauderdale and cracked open my book. By the time I finished the prologue, I knew God was at work. Wonder oozed from the pages of this book I barely remember purchasing.
So what is this delightful book? It is Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden.
I don’t think I will ever stop thinking about its beauty. Without giving away too much, I will say that my heart felt like it was being opened in ways it hasn’t been in some time. I found that my love of music, art, and nature was being rekindled as I absorbed the touching, albeit fictional, story of a Portuguese octogenarian called Theo.
“God meant for us to keep our focus on things that feed our spirits, not things that crush our souls.”
Given the current state of world events, we could all use a dose of Theo. Observing the beauty and wonder that surrounds us everyday keeps our hearts soft, reminding us of our wondrous Creator’s attention to detail. When we begin to notice this in the world around us, we also begin to see it in each other. God’s unique design for each human is surely his greatest collective masterpiece, reflecting his own majesty.
Who would want to stare at a garbage dump instead of a glorious sunset? The choice is ours. God meant for us to keep our focus on things that feed our spirits, not things that crush our souls. Paul reminds us of this in Philippians 4:8.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
As I’ve continued to meditate on wonder, the chorus of the Housefires song “Build my Life” repeatedly comes to mind:
Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
These words have become my prayer for 2026, and maybe they can be a prayer for you too, for this year of wonder.
‘Sometimes healing comes by waving the white flag of surrender when everyone else is telling you to stay in the fight.’
