I took this photo in our yard this morning. In the background I could hear the steady hum of cicadas. I looked up and saw literally thousands of these creatures in the trees above me. I know that this afternoon the hum will be so loud, it might be painful to be outside. This is definitely something!

As I took pictures this morning I found myself having an inner dialogue about what exactly this is. Various words came to mind. This is amazing, awful, grotesque, or bizarre. Which, I wonder, is it?

I really can’t answer that question well, about cicadas or anything else in life, until I let go of my first reaction. Our first reactions are conditioned responses that protect us from potential harm, pain, or even embarrassment. Our more thoughtful reactions, you might say prayerful reactions, are what help us grow spiritually and emotionally.

So, what is this? For me, wonder-full describes it well. I am filled with a sense of amazement and wonder when I stop and think. These creatures live underground for 17 years and then emerge by the millions in a four-to-six-week span. They live above ground just long enough to shed that exoskeleton, learn to fly, attract a mate, and lay eggs. Their existence in such vast numbers reminds me that life perseveres, even under what I would call extremely adverse conditions. Not only do they have to survive underground with everything I’ve been doing to the yard above them, but when they emerge, they have to survive the first day when they are extremely vulnerable. The squirrels, raccoons, birds, and dogs are literally having a feast in my neighborhood. It turns out, they can eat all they want. The cicada swarm will survive and thrive no matter what. You can bet that they’ll be back in seventeen years. What a wonder!

God’s world moves me to wonder in so many ways. Sometimes it’s the beauty of the mountains, lakes, or forests that make me stop, take notice, and expand my soul. Sometimes it’s the strength of wind, hail, or rain. Every seventeen years, it’s these amazing cicadas.

I hope you can spend some time enjoying the wonder of God’s world today. Just remember, you may have to let go of your first reaction to experience that sense of wonder.