The ship was holding a few hundred meters off the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska.

Yakutat Bay which spills out from the glacier is noteworthy for a number of reasons.

The first non-native settlement on the shores of the Bay was established in 1795 by a Russian company and, in 1899, two major earthquakes, 37 minutes apart, shook the region. Still, the undoubted prime attraction remains the 400 year old glacier.

Rising 400 feet above the surface with roots 250 below the water line, with a backdrop of snow covered mountains against a blue sky, the glacier stands magnificently.

And this day, it was showing off, calving large chunks of ice as well as medium avalanches into the glacial blue water. The thunder like rumble of each episode sparked an “Ahh!” from those assembled on the ship’s deck.

Except for a few.

Somewhere on a balcony below ours, a rabble seemed unable to still their own voices, focused more upon their own latest flash of brilliance or controversy. The splendour of the glacier simply provided a different background for their selfie.

I began to empathize with God.

What else needs to happen in order to get your attention? What more does it take to provoke a sense of wonder and awe?

After the ship had left Yakutat Bay the most common word heard in conversation with people was “Grateful.” Fitting.

Wonder and gratitude go together.