As the father of a very curious, highly risk tolerant, 2 yr old boy I have been relearning the beauty of wonder. To Arrow, the world is a playground and each morning a new opportunity to ride its slides and test its swings. Again and again, the corners of his mouth turn up and his eyes sparkle as he tastes, touches and sees things that delight him. I have formed a daily goal, to have his eyes catch mine in a moment of wonder.
When you think about it, we really are born curious and designed to experience life walking through the doors to which that curiosity leads. Curiosity begs, "What does that taste like? What would this feel like?" Upon enjoying, wonder says, "Now that one was a winner." On this journey, we call life, wonder surfaces when our senses are lit up by discovery.
Yet, along the way, most of us tend to find this orientation slipping from our view. In the grind, this substance rich essential is crushed beyond the point of recognition. We lose sight of thriving and exchange it for just surviving. Sin and weights drown out, stifle and pervert this God born posture. Life, indeed, tends to knock the wonder out of us.
This is a travesty, as wonder is a key to unlocking joy, and joy in God is "our strength." Wonder is a lynchpin for genuine worship. Wonder reminds the soul that though we walk in a broken world we live before a perfect God. It whispers, "Though the fall ushered in a world of bad, God made all things good and is 'making all things new.'" God gave us the capacity to interact with His goodness in a way that transcends the mess and allows us to be moved to the core. God intended that we be so deeply impressed that awe would flood our souls. He designed it all in such a way that we would come to points where the most natural thing to do is, stand jaw dropped, convinced that The One behind whatever we just experienced must be indescribable.
I believe with all my heart that our great God and Savior desires us to interact with His goodness in a way that leads us to see His greatness. In the end, He reminds us of what He intended from the beginning when we remember we were Created For Wonder.
Psalms 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!"
Job 37:14b "...Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!"
Psalms 77:14 "You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations."
Psalm 145:5 "On the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works, I will meditate."
- Micah McElveen