I was reading a novel recently and the word “dazzle” jumped off the page at me. I realized I hadn’t seen that word, nor heard it spoken, in a very long time.,,and that perhaps that is why it did jump off the page for me!
My mind ran to what the word actually means in one sense – being in awe of wonder of something – the magnificence of a dazzling sunrise, the the way the 200-300 petaled ruffled bloom of a peony dazzles me, and how I was dazzled by the sight of our newborn sons. It’s an amazing word that we don’t use much anymore. Even my grandsons had to ask me what “dazzle” meant and their vocabulary for teens is astonishing – how did they not know this word?
I tried it out with my European colleagues at a gathering I’m sitting at in Germany, where I’m writing this. When I used the word, there was a buzz around the room, many of them asking each other what the word meant and needed an explanation, just like our grandsons did.
Then I began to think through the humdrum of mundane days…the routines we get into, the tasks we have to check off, the repetition of schedules and the monotony of conversations. Where is the “dazzle” in our days?
I quickly came to the realization that there is little that I consider dazzling in my days…or perhaps I should say that there is so much around me that, if I gave thought and time to pondering, actually does dazzle me. I just don’t take time to think of it in that way. Where has the awe and wonder gone?
I thought of young David, who spent days and possibly weeks in the En Gedi desert to hide from Saul, and what he must of seen when he looked up at the clear night sky with stars fully on display – a dazzling display of God’s creation that caused him to pen “what is man that thou art mindful of him, human beings that you care for them?” When was I last dazzled by God’s amazing creation – its diversity, its brilliant colors, its changing seasons, the ant who can carry 50 to 100 times its weight?
When was I last dazzled by watching God manifest his power in my life by answering prayer, giving me wisdom and direction, bringing me a creative thought, allowing me to see our sons and their families grow and flourish? Why am I taking so much for granted and considering it average when it is truly dazzling?
So I challenged myself to use the word “dazzle”, to think in terms of “dazzling”, to remind myself of when I am actually “dazzled” by something that, if I give myself time to think, goes far beyond expectation and into the world of DAZZLE. And while I doubt if I will be foolish enough to overuse the word and all its forms, I want to be daily reminded that we serve a God who brings us “dazzle” on a regular basis – and perhaps we find ourselves with a bit more time in retirement to stop and smell those dazzling roses!
Don't Waste Your Retirement 