Wonder

When I was a child, I visited a large cavern system on a field trip. At the time, it felt like a grand adventure  of dark tunnels that seemed to go on forever, echoing chambers that carried every whisper and hidden turns that begged to be explored. Everything was mysterious and magnificent.

I remember walking through those underground rooms wide-eyed but not needing all the answers. The shadows didn’t scare me. They thrilled me. The unknown wasn’t something to avoid. Rather, it was something to discover. I carried a kind of reckless trust and raw delight that only children seem to possess. I had no map or motive, just movement and marvel.

This kind of wonder is a gift.

It’s not polished or planned. It doesn’t demand clarity before stepping forward. It’s a heart posture that’s open, expectant and unburdened. It’s not afraid of mystery. It lives wide awake. Yet somewhere along the way, most of us lose it.

Inevitably, we grow up. We accumulate knowledge and collect experiences. We become careful where we were once curious. We calculate instead of chase. The mystery that once drew us in becomes something we try to manage. We analyze instead of awe, and slowly, without even noticing, the sacred starts to feel familiar. The wonder begins to wear off.

But according to Jesus, childlike wonder is not meant to be a passing phase. It’s a holy draw that points us back to the God who delights in revealing Himself little by little, layer by layer.

“I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children,
you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 18:3

Recently, I drove by an advertisement for the caverns and wondered how I would feel about them as an adult. I’m sure the wonder has faded, and over time, the same happens with God.

At the beginning of our faith journey, we stand in awe. We see Him in sunsets, songs and Scripture. Our faith is fresh, but then the cavern becomes familiar. We’ve “been here before.” We know where the tunnels turn. We think we’ve seen the depths.

When in reality, there is no end to God’s beauty. His depths call to ours, inviting us to keep seeking, keep surrendering and keep being stunned by His glory. The caverns of God’s heart go deeper than we can reach in a lifetime. Yet many of us stop exploring after the first few rooms.

Childlike faith isn’t immature faith. It’s open faith. It’s not a faith that ignores reality but one that sees more of it: more mystery, more majesty, ultimately more of God.

So what robs us of this wonder?

We trade reverence for routine.
We settle for surface instead of seeking in the secret place.
We pray but mostly about our problems.
We read but to check a box.
We worship but not to encounter.
We’ve made it about us.

Then we ask why the wonder is gone.

If we want to experience wonder again, we have to return to the path that leads us into the depths.
Not a path of busyness but of being with God.
Not comfort but consecration.
Not control but curiosity.
Not formula but fire.
The caverns are still there.
His beauty has not faded.
We just have to become childlike in our faith again.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

Step into holy wonder and allow the Spirit to illuminate your world anew. Let your heart remember what it’s like to be amazed. MAKE ROOM for awe of Him again because He is the treasure. He is the prize.