Our world is full of wonder, but we typically shuffle through it without noticing what could give us the joy of wonder. Weakened by a load of care, the energy of wonder depleted; grownups are vulnerable to feeling overwhelmed. Children live in wonder and experience carefree joy. What can we learn from wonder, a child’s stronghold?
Note about the image. This a picture of three of my grandchildren pointing at a discovery of a weird mushroom at Mystery Acres. I love their wonder-filled faces but am protecting their identities.
My Mysterious Mind
This week I have been wondering about wonder. Being filled with wonder is a pleasant, almost divine experience. Caught up in the implicit knowledge of something beyond the reach of complete understanding, wonder returns us to a childlike state of joy. The intricate beauty of a flower fills me with wonder as I ponder it. The incredibly complex functioning of the human eyeball overwhelms me with wonder as I consider its design, and designer. The mysterious beauty of light divided into the colors of the rainbow stops my pointless shuffling and immerses me in wonder.
Children seem more naturally prone to wonder than adults. I remember a time when I was rushing down a sidewalk with my oldest daughter, then a preschooler, in tow. Abruptly stopping, she proclaimed, “Mommy! Birdies singing!” Having passed that point in the sidewalk dozens of times, her sense of wonder of singing birds was the catalyst for my hearing them for the first time. I nearly cried with the sudden joy of it, combined with the regret-filled realization of never noticing the birds before.
Last week I taught a song called “The Wonder Song” to two of my grandchildren, ages 5 and 2. The lyrics do not include the word “wonder” – it is a song about some of the wonders of creation that prompt us to wonder.
Oh, who can make a flower? I’m sure I can’t; can you?
Oh, who can make a flower? No one, but God; it’s true.
Oh, who can make a rainbow? I’m sure I can’t; can you?
Oh, who can make a rainbow? No one, but God; it’s true.
Additional verses are about who can make sunshine, a butterfly, and the wind blow. My grandchildren loved it; and I enjoyed the joy with which they sang it. This simple song reminded me to experience wonder. My five-year-old grandson added verses to the song, focusing on whatever he chose. It was a wonderful time of wondering.
Something else happened as I was caught up in the wonder of singing “The Wonder Song” with my grandchildren. Any sense of anxiety or sadness was driven away completely. Somehow the act of wondering created a wall of emotional protection, keeping dark emotions at bay. Simply put, singing this song made me feel better. In some mysterious way I became a content child with my grandchildren.
What about you? What causes you to experience the joy of wonder? How long has it been since you were caught up in wonder? Perhaps this childlike stronghold could chase away what is disturbing your joy.
Message of Mystery Acres
I wander the woods and wonder about whatever I see and whatever is on my mind. Setting aside any personal agenda, I just ponder the sights and sounds of each moment. I’m good at wandering there while wondering; my grandchildren are even better.
It takes so little to capture a child’s sense of wonder in the forest. During a visit in April of 2024, my grandsons expected to chase grasshoppers, having done so the previous summer. I forewarned them it was not the season for grasshoppers. Undaunted, they frolicked across the clearing, hoping to trigger the hopping of insects. To my surprise and wonder, a single grasshopper appeared for them to pursue. The presence of that grasshopper out of season still causes me to wonder. How in the world was there a grasshopper in the forest in early April? My grandsons didn’t think about it much, they just enjoyed the chase.
Camping with small children is a tremendous amount of work. We have basic infrastructure at Mystery Acres, but any food, beverages, and special sleeping supplies need to be brought with us, while also transporting children. In the summer, our oldest is adamant about having s’mores, even if the temperature is stifling. This expectation means my husband is building a fire while sweating.
No matter the level of work, the experience of their wonder in the forest is well worth it. Every rock is a treasure. Mushrooms are fantastic discoveries, worthy of photographing. Supplied with trowels, the simple act of digging occupies their energy for hours. A tumble of fallen trees is nature’s jungle gym.
Such exhausting trips to the forest with children provide a mysterious strength. Even now, as I type, remembering these visits, my heart is fortified with the joy. The message of Mystery Acres is a reminder to invest in experiences of wonder. Such expenditures of energy and time invite childlike wonder and build a stronghold of joy
Ancient Mystery’s Voice
“You ordained strength from the mouths of children and babies; to cause the enemy and the avenger to cease.” (Psalm 8: 2)
This summer, I have been reading one Psalm each day and pondering it during my early quiet time. Verse two of Psalm 8 grabbed my mind like some kind of divine Velcro. What does it mean? Something about the praise of children and its power as a stronghold against enemies. One translation states that God has ordained praise in the mouths of babes and children as a defense against the avenger. Ordained? Like an assignment to a priest? For babies and children? Against an avenger? With the power to stop the enemy?
I reviewed the various translations of the verse. I consulted my interlinear Bible to see the direct Hebrew to Greek translation. Noting the ambiguous thread connecting the different wordings, I concluded the obvious meaning into English is a mystery. Like infinity captured in a small collection of words, this verse has layers of possible meaning.
Unwilling to fail in my quest for understanding, I chatted with another Bible-believer about this verse. Maybe this verse is about the joy of children as a defense against despair. It might be the miraculous sounds of babies, expressed in babbling and cooing, but not words, testifies to a Creator in a way intellectual adults cannot. Who are these babes and children to which the psalmist referred?
And, maybe, these children are not children. Jesus spoke of coming to Him as little children; this is the disposition of faith. New believers are described as “born again,” babies whose voices are full of joyous praise for their adoption into God’s family.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites us to wonder about the strength of childlike faith. And children, who are easily caught up in wonder, are fortified against enemies. Trusting, transfixed by creation, a child’s stronghold is a place of divine wonder.
Living in Mystery
What does it mean to live in the mystery of wonder, experiencing a childlike stronghold? It’s simple. Really.
See the world through the eyes of a child. Stop to listen when birds are singing. Gaze with mesmerized eyes at a sky filled with stars. Laugh at the tickle of a dog’s tongue. Scamper through the grass in search of an unlikely grasshopper.
Sing The Wonder Song. Make up your own verses. If you’re worried about something you can’t fix, write a verse about it. Remind yourself there is an Infinite Power who can fix anything.
Oh, who can fix my problem? I’m sure I can’t; can you?
Oh, who can fix my problem? No one, but God; it’s true.
Let yourself become the child who trusts in the wonder of what is greater than you.
Allow wonder to become a stronghold between you and your enemies. Fear, despair, and sadness are kept away as wonder builds a fortress around you. A heart filled with wonder is protected, for a time, from terror and hopelessness.
Wonder is a child’s stronghold; it can be yours, too. Feeling under attack? Sing a song of wonder. Notice something wonderful. Pause from being a stressed-out grownup and view the world through the eyes of a child. There is strength in the simple praise of wonder.
Connecting with Mystery
Dear Lord of All Mystery, thank You for reminding me to view the world You created through a child’s eyes, knowing the stronghold of such wonder. Help me to see with the trusting eyes of a child, finding strength against my enemies. Amen.
Notes from Dr. Mac
If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, try Bible Gateway. Search for “stronghold” and ponder the translations of Psalm 8, verse 2.
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