Wonder

Do you ever stop to wonder at God's creation? Some definitions of the word "wonder" are: surprise mingled with admiration or curiosity, to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel, an event inexplicable by the laws of nature; a miracle. Every day, my children wonder at something. They stop on the sidewalk (sometimes tripping the people who were walking behind them) to investigate a bug. They collect leaves from the ground and study them intently. They look at the birds in the air and are amazed at how they can fly. Remember when you used to catch a caterpillar or a roly-polie and put it in a jar with a leaf or some grass, maybe a stick? I remember watching fireflies and trying to catch them in my hand. I was reminded today that I need to stop and wonder at the creation of God. How magnificent it is.

I love clouds. This morning, I was in a hurry to get the kids dressed so we could head out the door to my mom's group. I rushed to open up the blinds and barely glanced at the sky. However, I did a double-take. There in front of me were three sets of clouds that were exactly the same size and pattern. The sky was mostly whiteish-gray, but set apart were three wispy purple swirls all in a row. I got an image in my head of the Lord sitting in Heaven painting the skies of the earth. It took me by surprise. I was in wonder. Sometimes I think God really does paint the sky for us. It's his way of saying, "I love you. I wanted to show you something special today, just for you." He knows I love clouds, so he painted some for me. It really was amazing to see three clouds in a row, the exact same color and pattern, right there in the middle of the sky.

I get so busy as a mother; the endless piles of laundry and dishes, the floors laden with the snacks of the day, or even a couple days' worth. Who knew that two children could turn solid pieces of food into a million tiny pieces faster than I can blink my eyes? The bills that need to be paid, grocery lists to make, cards to mail, vacuuming, dusting, the list goes on and on. Oh yeah, and being a wife as well. When do I have time to make my husband feel special and focus on him? Fortunately, I am married to a wonderful man who understands the demands that are on me every day. In fact, we are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary today! I know he will never know exactly what it feels like to be a mother, but he is very involved in our children's lives. He gives me a lot of grace and I am so thankful for him.

You know, Jesus says that we are supposed to have a child's-eye view of the kingdom of God. In Matthew 18 he says that those who will humble themselves like little children are considered the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. We are supposed to stay "heaven minded" instead of "earthly minded." If we keep our focus on earthly things all the time, such as the tasks of the day or our next promotion, we will lose our wonder and our joy. I'm not saying that we should just throw caution to the wind and ignore our responsibilities, or that it's wrong to want a promotion. That would be foolish. We are not to be childish, we are to be childlike. Childish means - puerile, weak, silly, lack of maturity. It refers to characteristics that are undesirable and unpleasant: childish selfishness; outbursts of temper; infantile reasoning or behavior. Childlike means - like or befitting a child; as in "childlike trust"; "dewey-eyed innocence"; "listened in round-eyed wonder"; meek; submissive; dutiful, candor. It refers to characteristics that are desirable and admirable.

We need to sit on the grass with our kids and wonder at the tiny flowers and insects. We need to lie on our backs and look at the clouds in the sky with wonder and amazement. As the old saying goes, we need to "stop and smell the roses." My kids love to look at the moon. They are in awe every time they see it. Sometimes when I'm really tired at night and I'm in a hurry to get the kids in bed, I get aggrivated when Sarah wants me to open the blinds so she can see the moon. I find myself thinking, "What is the big deal? It's just the moon!" And then I think, "Wait a minute. Just the moon? What a miracle the moon is. What a miracle our solar system is." So, I open the blinds and watch her face light up in wonder. It makes her day, and mine.

So today, I challenge you to stop for a second and see the world through the eyes of your children. If you don't have children, try to remember what it was like when you were a child. Be amazed. Be in awe of the creation and it's Creator. May we never get so caught up in the duties of being a mother that we forget to wonder like the children he has entrusted to us. Just the fact that he entrusted me to be a mother is wonderment enough for me.