It is my hope that the wilderness will restore your capacity for wonder. It’s my hope that you’ll relearn how to ask questions and you’ll be startled by ladybugs and the return of a robin will make you glad. It’s my hope that children and elders will find you a patient presence. And it’s my hope that you’ll realize that being useful and having answers isn’t everything. There has to be room for nonsensical, wasteful, and sacramental noticing, because through it you begin to witness God’s heavy pour of love into your cup.
— Sarah Bessey, Field Notes for the Wilderness, p. 101
Photo: Grounds of the Abbaye de Royaumont, France, June 24, 2026