Wonder-Full
It’s Christmas Eve. All of the shopping is complete. Packages sit under the tree, awaiting recipients. Plans are in place. Timers and alarms are set so we don’t sleep too late, or get up too early, and so we start preparing meals at the right time. Christmas talks a lot of prep work!
My wife and I exchange lists more than gifts. We’ve even got to the point of sending actual links to the things we give each other, or that the kids give through us. Still, we act surprised every Christmas morning.
Even the giving of gifts is so well planned that the wonder is gone.
Wonder is an important part of Christmas. In some Advent traditions, wonder is observed for an entire month leading up to Christmas day. Even without an Advent observance, though, wonder is at the heart of Christmas. There is a mystery, and some magic, in Christmas stories and in how we celebrate those stories. There is a lot to wonder about at Christmas.
A fat man traveling the globe giving toys
A virgin birth
Flying reindeer
God in the flesh
Magical hats on a snowman
Angels appearing to Mary, Joseph, and shepherds
What is in this box?
Peach on earth, goodwill toward mankind
Christmas is truly the most wonder-full time of the year.
But we easily outgrow the wonder, don’t we? Santa and the elves are for kids. The idea of the incarnation is either ludicrous or a mere fairytale. And the gift-giving is essentially letting someone else do your shopping. The wonder, the awe, the magic, of Christmas is gone.
I wonder how much we miss because we do not wonder. It’s an ancient Jewish concept, one that Jacob himself embodied when he observed, “Surely the LORD was here, and I didn’t even notice.” Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, that observation rings true.
I think we let go of wonder, and often let go of faith, when we think we have to be correct all of the time. We can’t guess, we have to know. We can’t wish, we have to prove. If it can’t be explained, it must be an overactive imagination. Speculation has no room in a world of facts. And wonder dies in a world of proof. But so much begins with wonder!
I wonder if she’ll like me?
I wonder what this tastes like?
I wonder if I could build _____?
I wonder if I can fix _______?
I wonder if there’s a better way?
Wondering about a better way leads to a new life. That’s not a Christian thing, it’s a thought for all of us. Electric cars, pumpkin spice lattes, Spotify, your marriage/family, Netflix, popcorn, the internet and Starbucks all started with someone wondering.
Wonder isn’t childish; it is vital to life. If you know more that you don’t know, you are missing out on life. And likely lying to yourself. When you wonder less, life is never wonder-full. If you want to wonder about something, wonder about how different life would be if you wondered more.
Here’s how to be a wonder-full person:
Embrace Humility – No one knows everything, and people who think they do are jerks.
Slow Down – We are usually in too big of a hurry to be appreciative of so many important things.
Observe Life – Especially the small things! There are curiosities and miracles all around us.
Ask Questions – Truly try to understand the things you don’t know or understand.
Play – It’s okay to lighten up and be care free.
I have a tattoo on my right arm. It’s a constant reminder to do two of these things, the two are the hardest for me. Play and Pause. Simply recognizing these two acts helps me engage with wonder, not just at Christmastime, but all year.
Yes, tomorrow is Christmas. But it is never too late to embrace and embody that magical wonderful Christmastime. How can you engage with wonder? How can you help your family engage with wonder?
