---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have not wondered enough at the…"
description: "\"We have not wondered enough at the delights God has given us to appreciate them, and be good stewards. We have overworked the land, poured pollutants i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png"
---

#  We have not wondered enough at the delights God has given…

![“We have not wondered enough at the delights God has given us to appreciate them, and be good stewards. We have overworked the land, poured pollutants into river and stream, fouled the air we breathe with gas fumes and chemical smoke spiraling up from industrial chimneys. We have sown the wind. We…” quote by Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png)

> “We have not wondered enough at the delights God has given us to appreciate them, and be good stewards. We have overworked the land, poured pollutants into river and stream, fouled the air we breathe with gas fumes and chemical smoke spiraling up from industrial chimneys. We have sown the wind. We are reaping the whirlwind.”

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human neglect of nature leads to environmental degradation, creating a cycle where our actions cause the very disasters we suffer.

**In simple terms:** Neglecting nature creates self‑inflicted disasters.

Key Takeaway

Practice sustainable stewardship of the earth.

Themes

environment stewardship consequences

Mood

concerned hopeful

Type

motivational ethical

When to use this quote

- industrial pollution
- deforestation
- climate policy
- community gardening

Key Concepts

ecology climate change human impact sustainability

Questions to Reflect On

- What small changes can reduce personal environmental impact?
- How can communities promote sustainable practices?

A Different Perspective

Short‑term gains often ignore long‑term ecological costs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoke/) [Stewardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stewardship/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/)

## Related quotes

> [We've have to heed our Biblical obligation to be good stewards of the Earth after leaving the Garden of Eden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-ve-have-to-heed-our-biblical-obligation-to-be-good-stewards-of-the/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Our government is a gift from God, who calls us to be good stewards of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shimkus/our-government-is-a-gift-from-god-who-calls-us-to-be-good-stewards-of/)

[John Shimkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shimkus/)

> [The more you learn about the real vastness of space and the real challenges of space travel, the more completely you appreciate the necessity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/the-more-you-learn-about-the-real-vastness-of-space-and-the-real/)

[Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/)

> [As climbers, we need to learn to be good stewards of the land and take care of these places where we are spending so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sharma/as-climbers-we-need-to-learn-to-be-good-stewards-of-the-land-and-take/)

[Chris Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sharma/)

> [We owe it to Americans to be good stewards of their money, and I intend to uphold that commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/we-owe-it-to-americans-to-be-good-stewards-of-their-money-and-i/)

[John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/)

> [We are blessed with great national resources, and we should be good stewards of those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/we-are-blessed-with-great-national-resources-and-we-should-be-good/)

[Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/)

> [Many times those who are given the most, appreciate it the least. Dad, always said, If you work for it and pay for it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/many-times-those-who-are-given-the-most-appreciate-it-the-least-dad/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [“What we had yesterday has gone away. What we have today will only last this day. What we will have twomorrow no one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-had-yesterday-has-gone-away-what-we-have-today-will-only-last/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I live in a constant state of gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation for the second chance I was given, so anytime in any film, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-michaels/i-live-in-a-constant-state-of-gratitude-thankfulness-and-appreciation/)

[Shawn Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-michaels/)

> [I consider my musical ability to be a gift from the Creator. It's not that I try to work hard or nothing like that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erykah-badu/i-consider-my-musical-ability-to-be-a-gift-from-the-creator-it-s-not/)

[Erykah Badu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erykah-badu/)

> [Love the life you were given. Always appreciate her because when you don't appreciate her anymore your life will be gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-bryant/love-the-life-you-were-given-always-appreciate-her-because-when-you/)

[Rasheed Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-bryant/)

> [We can be about jobs and growth and be good stewards of our environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/we-can-be-about-jobs-and-growth-and-be-good-stewards-of-our/)

[Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/)

> [We must be good stewards of our water resources and ensure they are available for generations to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/we-must-be-good-stewards-of-our-water-resources-and-ensure-they-are/)

[John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/)

> [It's vital that we be good stewards of our waterways - including protecting them from potentially devastating disasters that can't be undone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/it-s-vital-that-we-be-good-stewards-of-our-waterways-including/)

[John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/)

> [“we were not born the same and we are all not born with the same abilities and capabilities, but no matter what seed God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/we-were-not-born-the-same-and-we-are-all-not-born-with-the-same/)

[Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/)

## More by Madeleine L'Engle

> [“One of the hardest lessons I have to learn is how not to be judgmental about people who are judgmental. When I see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/one-of-the-hardest-lessons-i-have-to-learn-is-how-not-to-be/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/inspiration-more-often-comes-during-the-work-than-before-it-because/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-have-to-write-the-book-that-wants-to-be-written-and-if-the-book/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Severe illness isolates those in close contact with it, because it inevitably narrows the focus of concern. To a certain extent this can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/severe-illness-isolates-those-in-close-contact-with-it-because-it/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/faith-is-what-makes-life-bearable-with-all-its-tragedies-and/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“Instead of rejoicing in this glorious “impossible” which gives meaning and dignity to our lives, we try to domesticate God, to make his mighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/instead-of-rejoicing-in-this-glorious-impossible-which-gives-meaning/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [I have never lived before...Until this summer, I did not know what it was to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-have-never-lived-before-until-this-summer-i-did-not-know-what-it/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [On the other side of pain, there is still love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/on-the-other-side-of-pain-there-is-still-love/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/to-love-is-to-be-vulnerable-and-it-is-only-in-vulnerability-and-risk/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [“IT was the most horrible, the most repellent thing she had ever seen, far more nauseating then anything she had ever imagined with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/it-was-the-most-horrible-the-most-repellent-thing-she-had-ever-seen/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [I feel as though I'm not breathing when I'm out of his presence. He's the oxygen in my air, the sun in my universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-feel-as-though-i-m-not-breathing-when-i-m-out-of-his-presence-he-s/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [My husband is my most ruthless critic... sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course it has. It's all been said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/my-husband-is-my-most-ruthless-critic-sometimes-he-will-say-it-s-been/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [If we aren't capable of being hurt we aren't capable of feeling joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-we-aren-t-capable-of-being-hurt-we-aren-t-capable-of-feeling-joy/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

[Explore all 660 Madeleine L'Engle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

## More Air quotes

> [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/)

[Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/)

[Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/)

> [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/)

[Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

Browse all 6,278 Air quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We have not wondered enough at the delights God has given us to appreciate them, and be good stewards. We have overworked the land, poured pollutants into river and stream, fouled the air we breathe with gas fumes and chemical smoke spiraling up from industrial chimneys. We have sown the wind. We are reaping the whirlwind.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Madeleine L'Engle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delights-god-has-given-us-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Air"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delights-god-has-given-us-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/madeleine-l-engle-345_air_we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delig_2022189.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We have not wondered enough at the delights God has given us to appreciate them, and be good stewards. We…” — Madeleine L'Engle",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Madeleine L'Engle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We have not wondered enough at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delights-god-has-given-us-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/we-have-not-wondered-enough-at-the-delights-god-has-given-us-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
