Last night we took our grandchildren to see the Christmas lights at a nearby park and they were filled with wonder as they looked at the lights. The next morning they asked if they could see the lights again. Have you ever noticed the enthusiasm of a young child – so many things are new and exciting to them. After we saw the lights we came home and watched “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and they were fascinated by the story. If you’re like me you’ve seen or read that story several times but can you imagine seeing it for the first time – you don’t know how the story is going to end.

As adults why do we lose that sense of wonder? One of the reasons is we don’t like to try new things – we want to stay in our comfort zone. The problem with staying in your comfort zone is you don’t grow. Young children are constantly facing new challenges and therefore growing. There’s another reason why we cease to wonder – in an effort to appear sophisticated and cool we become jaded and lose our sense of wonder. Jesus conversely encourages the enthusiasm and wonder of a young child, ” . . . Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

How many times have we heard the Christmas story . . . been there done that, what’s new? Take some time and really consider what happened – the God of the universe became a man! He came to pay the price for your sins and my sins. May we never lose our sense of wonder and appreciation for what God has done for us! Thomas Carlyle was correct when he said, “Wonder is the basis of worship.” May you experience afresh the wonder of the incarnation this Christmas season! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)