We were at The Black Canyon of the Gunnison in southwest Colorado.  It was late in the afternoon, and I was tired from driving all day.  We walked to the viewing point and looked around and down at the vertical rock formations characteristic of the place.  I love rocky country, and I was awed by the grandeur and beauty around us.  Although I was not aware of it until later when I heard Pat telling one of our sons, the scene so bowled me over that I walked from one vantage point to another and said, “Wow!” again and again.  That word is not a normal part of my vocabulary, but I couldn’t think of another word to describe what I was seeing and experiencing.

    So I just said, “Wow!”

    When we paid our entrance fee, the attendant pointed out that the receipt was dated because it was good for seven days.  I wondered why.  I found out when we got home from vacation, and I went through some of the printed material we gathered along the way.  As I looked at the material from The Black Canyon, I was amazed to see that we had barely tasted of the wonders of the place.  There are twelve lookouts.  We visited two which were close together.  There was so much more.  Next time I want to stay longer and see more.

    I have thought about that experience in terms of our spiritual lives.  When we first become Christians, there are a lot of “Wow!” experiences.  But usually we settle down to a routine that becomes rather dull.  We don’t know there is more.  Occasionally, the Lord breaks through and things begin to be “Wow!” again.  Then we drop back into the routines of life.

    When God led Pat and me to leave the pastorate in 1980 and begin a journey of faith, there were  a lot of “Wow!” experiences.  The first four years were filled with new and unusual things.  We moved four times, following God as best we knew how.  The last move, in 1984, was out here in the country.  And things stayed exciting for a long while as we settled in, and as God led us into new areas of ministry.  Then as we got older and joined the Medicare crowd, we slowed down.  And things became more routine.

    But late last year, Pat and I became aware that God had some new directions for us.  We began to pray and prepare.  And the pace has picked up.  We don’t know what and where all of it will be, but we are trying to be obedient one step at a time.  And as we journey, the endless wonder of God’s presence and power has brought back the excitement.

    So we both say, “Wow!”