Wonder

Feb. 1, 2026 Catherine Starrs
Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

One of many experiences where I encountered beauty was when I was at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland in November 2023. I had gone with three of my dear friends from college. We were staying with my friend’s Aunt and Grandma who live in Belfast, Ireland and the four of us took a day trip up to the Giant’s Causeway. The Giants causeway is a natural site of interlocking basalt columns that jut out into the Atlantic Ocean like a bridge. It was freezing cold and the wind was biting as it blew in from the ocean. The sky was overcast and grey. We all layered up with the assortment of winter coats that were at the house as we had not come prepared for the cold at all. While we were standing at the Giant’s Causeway there was a very specific moment where I experienced beauty. The whole experience was wonderful, but at one point I was standing next to my friend Maggie by the edge of the bridge of rocks. We stood there together in silence for what felt like a straight 10 minutes saying nothing. We watched the giant waves come crashing up against the rocks as the salty water sprayed our faces. The water would come rolling over the hexagonal stones towards us as it would turn to sea foam. The waves were powerful and awestriking. As we looked out at the ocean taking it all in, our faces and toes tingling from the cold, there was a sudden moment where I saw all of this in front of me and recognized that God was so present in that space. Once I had become aware of His presence, my lens of what was before me completely transformed. My interior posture at the time allowed me to see and experience the beauty and wonder of the moment. I have encountered many objectively beautiful things, but the ones that stand out the most, where I am able to look and say, “ Wow! THIS is beautiful!” are the instances when I see God’s presence in that moment.