Wondering Wanderer
I often find myself wondering as I wander through this life. One of the definitions of wonder is a desire or curiosity to know something. Another way to think about wonder is to define it as pondering, thinking about, meditating on, reflecting on, or speculating about something. On the other hand, wanderer can be defined as someone who moves about at random. It is also defined in the dictionary as one who behaves in a manner that does not conform to the norm. Having defined the difference between the two, I see myself as a wondering wanderer.
I have always been one to ask why. Even in my clinical practice as a critical care nurse, I always ask why. I wonder why we do certain things the way we do them. I wonder is it best practice. I wonder how other facilities do it. The wondering part of me crosses over to every area of my life. I often wonder if I’m in the right place. I wonder what’s in store for me. I wonder where my next destination will be. I wonder what my final career will be. I am just a wonderer.
I am also a wanderer. It has always been difficult for me to stay put for long. I am curious and ready to wander around and see what other experiences I can have. I often wander around lost in thought. Being a wanderer has taught me a lot. I often change the path I am wandering down in order to have different scenery and to get a different perspective. I have learned through this that there are many different paths to the truth. Just because I may be on a different path than you, doesn’t mean I’m lost. I believe it is important to wander and explore. It is very easy to stay on the same path and never wander. I believe we miss out on a lot of beauty. While walking through the park the other day, I decided to walk a different path than my normal walk through the park. I saw different beautiful trees, flowers, ducks, birds, and things I had not seen on my normal path. Wandering down a different path led me to more beauty. It is the same in our personal lives. We must wander and explore to see all God’s beauty.
Wondering as we wander is vital to getting answers. If we never ask why or wonder, then we will never know why. Again, it is very easy and comfortable to just get in a routine and go on autopilot never asking why. My mother used to cut both ends of the ham off at Easter before she cooked it. I ask her, “why do you cut the ends off?” She replied, “because that’s the way Momma cooked her ham.” So I went to my grandmother and asked her, “why do you cut the ends off of your ham?” She replied, “Because that’s the way your great grandmother Cobb always did it.” So I went to grandma Cobb and asked her, “why do you cut the ends of your ham off?” She replied, “because it won’t fit in the pan if I don’t.” Many times we just do it because it was the way we were raised or because it was tradition. It is important to ask why.
I encourage you to wander in your life. Wandering has allowed me to have experiences I may not have had if I had stayed stagnant and not wandered around. These experiences have changed my life and created amazing growth and self-healing. As you wander, I encourage you to also wonder. Ask yourself the questions you want answers to. Find out about the things you are curious about by wondering. Wondering has given me many answers to some of life’s most difficult questions. Take time today to wander and wonder. Take in all the beauty as you wander and get the answers you need as you wonder.
See you next Sunday for my weekly Sunday blog. Peace and blessing to you!