Have you ever been blessed with sacred awe? This is my term for something that you were not expecting to experience or you did not plan to see. But it happened and you thank God because you feel so blessed to have experienced this moment.
I recently had a sacred awe. One evening not too long ago I was driving out of Marathon, as I always do over the bridge heading north. I always like to look at the Rib River as I pass over to see how high the water level is. This year being a mild winter the river seemed a little low but still flowing beautifully.
On this particular spring evening I was blessed with a surprise. There on the north bank of the river stood a white deer looking up the bank. It was standing there tall and not bothered or noticing the traffic on the bridge. At first I could not believe what I had seen. I knew there were white deer in the area but I never thought I would see one. My praises to God came flowing freely as I felt so blessed to have been given the opportunity to see such a beautiful creature. I have always loved being with nature and praising God has become natural when I am one with what I see, hear and feel. But this time I was overcome with love and I was still smiling when I got home. The only disappointment that evening was that I was not able to get a picture.
What made that moment special? Was it a rare chance or a God moment? What happened next made it more of an okay what does this mean. A few weeks later I was driving out of Marathon again heading north on the bridge and there near a pond was the white deer. Of course there was still no place to pull over and take a picture but the sight was another sacred awe.
With this extra special sighting I looked up what a white deer means to others. For Native Americans they consider a white deer to be sacred and a bringer of good fortune. In many cultures a white animal including a deer are seen as spiritual symbols, their white color represents purity, innocence, and a connection to the divine. Some even say that encountering a white deer is considered a profound spiritual experience and a sign of divine blessings.
You may not have experienced the white deer but what in your life have you experienced that has been your sacred awe? Did it make you praise God or make you take a look at your spiritual life? Take some time to be open to what God is showing you. You never know when your sacred awe moment will be.
-Sr. Barb Knauf
S. Barb, profoundly inspiring!!!
You ask about sacred awe? My answer is the birth of each one of my children. To not see the wonder is to reject God.
Makes me think of the White Buffalo in Lakota culture.
Brook trout rising to a mayfly emergence in a Central Wisconsin trout stream is a miraculous insight into the connectedness we are a part of if we take the time to realize it. This is total gift, and it is a reflection of our common Creator.
Your article speaks to me. I enjoy and love nature and the countryside. All of God’s creation speaks to me of God and I find myself praising and thanking God daily. The awesome sunsets, sunrises and birds chirping praise of God for another day. Last week the cheerful wrens delighted my whole being with their singing. We have so much to be grateful for and to enjoy the gift of each other that God places in our path on our journey. And just to even thank God for the gift to see and enjoy all daily. Yes we are abundantly blessed.