December 16, 2011
The Second Half
Sense of wonder
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
For the past seven years we have enjoyed the company of grandchildren several days each week during the school year. Days with them have been spent swinging on our porch swing, blowing bubbles for them to chase, reading picture books together and doing anything else that came to mind. Cate and Rachel, now almost eight, have entered the world of after-school activities. Grandsons Jamie and David, age four, are still with us, but the day when they, too, will be in school is just over the horizon.
These years with them have transformed the way we see life. Children between the ages of three and six have a gift for seeing the most ordinary, boring events as something wonderful. Years ago we thought of a trip to the grocery store as just another chore on our to-do list. The boys think of it as a trip to a place with thousands of wonderful possibilities. David rides in the little seat in the cart while Jamie stands sideways with his feet on the bottom rack and his arms draped over the basket. David spots many things he thinks we ought to be buying. Jamie likes to jump off and on to get a better look at some of the possibilities. It takes both of us to make a trip to the store with the boys, but their sense of wonder over such a mundane event renews our spirits and keeps our minds alert.
This year we have been looking for opportunities to journey through Advent with a sense of childlike wonder. In her booklet of Advent reflections, “Daybreak,” author Pat Livingston wrote she once heard someone say just one step separates fear from wonder and the secret of moving from one to the other is expecting something good to happen. In this Sunday’s gospel, Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel moved from fear to wonder. In spite of being “troubled” by the angel’s greeting, Mary’s complete trust in God allowed her to make the step from fear to awe and ultimately become the bearer of His son.
Trust seems to be the key that opens the door to wonder for all of us. Like children, we are learning to trust more and live with a sense of how amazing life is. We don’t have to understand how things work, or know how things will turn out. Being in the presence of God’s grace is enough. The interesting thing about wonder is that when we make a point to see the extraordinary in common things, opportunities to experience God’s grace seem to multiply.
At the age we are now, we find ourselves speeding along the aisles of life with one of us riding in the cart while the other hangs on the side. Faith pushes us onward while we live with a sense of wonder at the multitude of possibilities around us.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.