One of the joys of having a year old child toddling through your life is that you get to watch them experiencing the world through new eyes. Steven is fascinated by everything that he sees. Our walks and other outdoor adventures are often accompanied by a pointing finger and a mouth opened wide to say "ooohhhh!". It doesn't matter if it's the geese at the park, a person walking by, or rainwater pouring into a storm drain on the road, everything about the world is new and exciting.
He has also learned how to say "wow!". He says it often, whether he is flipping through the pages of a picture book or playing with one of his toys.
For Steven, the world is amazing. Dripping water keeps making noise. Gravity keeps working no matter how many times you drop something. From the moment he wakes until he falls asleep, he doesn't stop on his journey of discovery. Every rock must be climbed, every pebble must be tasted.
How different it is for those of us who have made more trips around the sun. Things that were once incredible become ordinary. We get busy and rush through life without noticing the things and people that we are passing.
No wonder Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (the little children). If we become so bored and jaded in our few short years on this beautiful earth, broken as it may be, how can we expect to fully enjoy the wonder and majesty of the Kingdom when all is restored?
Steven challenges me to slow down and open up my senses once again to the wonder of the world around me. I challenge you, as I challenge myself, the next time you see a plant growing through a crack in the pavement, the next time you have a chance to splash in a puddle, the next time you are surrounded by your family, let's pause for a moment and say "wow!".
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