22-month-old grandbaby Mia has an insatiable thirst to learn, and I pray the craving never stops. Never… Ever … because wondering and discovering makes life delightful.
Her relentless curiosity surfaces in two words that she merges into one blended sound that blurts out with heart-melting cuteness: “WUSSHHAT?” (Translated: “What’s that?”)
For example, we were wandering around the Barnes and Noble. She saw a stuffed animal with a long neck and short wings. “WUSSHAT?” she asked.
“That’s an ostrich,” we informed her.
Next, Mia grabbed a squishy, transparent tube filled with blue water and little plastic fish inside.
“WUSSHAT?”
As she asked, the tube squirted from her toddler hands, and I picked it up, but it squirted from my hands too.
“That’s hard to hold, isn’t it?” my wife said.
She grinned and repeated, “Hard to hold.”
Whatever the slippery, squishy thing is supposed to be called by its maker, we’ve dubbed it “Hard to hold.”
It makes me think of the beautiful, odd scene in paradise when the Lord paraded all the wild animals and birds before Adam to see what the human would say.
“Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:19–20, ESV)
Why did God display His creatures for Adam like that? Maybe it was the grandfather part of His heart that just enjoyed the cuteness of hearing the freshly formed Adam ask: “WUSSHHAT?”
I like to picture the scene. God brings a creature with a long neck and short wings before the first man. ?“What’s that?” Adam asks. Then the Lord brings a fluffy golden retriever puppy for Adam to pet. Maybe the puppy licks the primal man’s face as Adam laughs and asks: “What’s that?”
Paradise is a place of endless wonder and discovery.
Adam, surrounded by curiosities, enveloped by the glories of all that is yet known, lived in wonder, secret of childlike joy.
The trendy motto, “Been there… Done that…,” goes far to explain the spiritual malaise of the modern world.
Been there ... no reason to go back… seen one, seen ‘em all … yawn….
Done that ... no reason to do it again ... doesn’t do anything for me anymore … yawn.
We live in a generation that think it’s seen it all and done it all. A click of a mouse can deliver about any imaginable piece of information anyone wants. A web browser can get you into another’s country, or a stranger’s conversation, or someone else’s sex life. So even if you haven’t really seen much or done much, you feel like you have.
There is a segment of the population who, like the newly made Adam in the vastness of Eden’s glory, haven’t “been there” and “done that.” Little children know that they have seen very little and that there is a great big world to know. If the adult’s motto is “been there, done that,” the toddler’s refrain is: “WASSHAT?”
A two-year-old’s day isn’t steered by certainty. It is led by wonder. And that’s their ticket to paradise.
Are you looking for fresh joy? Take a look at the closest little child. Have you ever seen a baby girl who has just discovered her hands? Have you ever watched a toddler blow a bubble or inspect a strange bug? Have you ever stepped into an autumn night’s air and heard a two-year-old shout, “Look, the moon!” Have you ever watched a preschooler’s glee to see a kite dance in the wind over a beach?
If you want more of paradise today, get curious again. Invite wonder in. Ask God everyday: WASSHAT?
I’m fascinated not only that God paraded His creatures for Adam to behold, but that the Lord wanted to see what the man would call the animals.
He was sort of like Mia in the Barnes and Noble with the unnamed squishy thing. First, she was curious, “WASHHAT?” And then, when no known name was given for the item, she dubbed it “Hard to hold.”
Dudley Hall has said that God gave man the power to name the animals in paradise because, before the Fall, sinless humanity could see into the true nature of things. With untainted vision, Adam knew the difference between a skunk and an otter. He knew the difference between an ostrich and an eagle. He also knew the difference between a man and a woman.
God didn’t have to tell a sinless man what things were. Adam’s robust curiosity was seamlessly joined to Godlike perception. He saw things as God saw them. That’s part of why I wrote my newest book, Seeing as Jesus Sees. I want to daily learn to see all things through the correct lens—through the eyes of the Savior.
Scientists looked inside the cell nucleus and said, “WASSHAT?” Over time, they gave it a name, “deoxyribonuecleic acid.” DNA, for short. And, thankfully, we’re still looking inside the human genome. There will be new names for the not yet seen or understood.
Astronomers have looked through big telescopes and seen stars beyond our galaxy and said “WASSHAT?” They saw the largest star ever seen, a red supergiant that dwarfs the biggest lights in our night sky. It’s about 1700 times larger than our sun. They’ve dubbed it “UY Scuti.” I wish they’d called it “Hard to Hold.”
God made us curious not just to fill us with wonder and the joy that accompanies the delight of looking into the not yet known, but also to move us to truth. It is our wondering what something is that leads us to discover what something really is.
If Mia asks, “WASSHAT?” a hundred times a day, her sweet mother will give her an answer a hundred times. That’s a baby frog. That’s a dandelion. That’s bird poop, yuck. That’s the sound a train makes. That’s steam, hot, don’t touch. That’s a rainbow.
A good mom doesn’t grow weary in answering her child and our good God never tires of telling us the Truth.
As important as it is to learn about physical stuff, it’s even more vital to stay curious about the intangible glories of life. That’s a good marriage. That’s a healthy family. That’s grief. That’s hope. That’s good. That’s bad. That’s holy. That’s blasphemous. That’s love. That’s hate. That’s Good News. That’s moralism. That’s grace. That’s law.
Beloved, God made us to be relentlessly curious so we can marvel at the mysteries and wonder about the essence of all things. There’s our joy! Marveling is what makes life wonderFULL.
But the wonder of our hearts is designed toward an aim—discovery of truth. Learning. Growing. That’s what makes life worth living. That’s what energizes us. And when we learn the truth, when we learn what something really is, we can call it by the right name. In other words, God made us curious so we would wonder about life and seek the truth because truth sets us free.
So let the Holy Spirit make you a little more like a child today. Find something that fascinates you and ask God: WASSHAT?
Wonder and truth await.
THE SEEING AS JESUS SEES BUNDLE
Pastor Alan's groundbreaking new book will empower you to discover the wonder and beauty you've been missing and clear away needless frustrations and misunderstandings. If you long to live with greater joy, victory, and wonder, let Pastor Alan Wright lead you through the Scriptures to the Savior's side to see everything from His perspective. You're going to love the view! When you donate to AWM this month, you'll receive a copy of Seeing as Jesus Sees and complimentary companion content to enhance your journey!
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