Jesus obviously valued the attitude, humility, and perspective of children, shown when He said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” But why?
Aside from the Sunday-School-answer of us needing to humbly acknowledge our childlike dependency on His saving grace in order to be forgiven and made pure, I think there is more. In order to appreciate Heaven (and not just the after-death aspect of it, but also being part of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth), I think we need to see the world with child-like wonder.
Think about the first time you saw something that blew your mind when you were a kid. For me, that was probably Smith Rock State Park. I went to it with my family as a tween, and my jaw dropped at the grandeur. Over the course of my life, I’ve been lucky and privileged enough to see some amazing sights, including one of the actual Wonders of the World, Chichén Itzá. At times I’ve gotten to a point of being desensitized to them. Oh, look, another pretty mountain. Ho, hum. I’ve seen it happen in others, too. Several years ago, I drove my friend’s kids to their home in Montana after visiting their grandparents here in Oregon, and we took the scenic route. We hiked through the Painted Hills and stopped to see the Wallowa Mountains. But the kids weren’t impressed. They knew they had bigger, more epic scenes at home in Montana. They’d lost some of their childlike wonder. Note: I can’t blame them too much. After getting them home, my friend took us all to Glacier National Park there in Montana. It has been my favorite national park ever since then, and no scenery has topped it for me.
Currently, I’m blessed with the opportunity to show my family wonders they’ve never seen. Chris had seen many amazing sights around the USA when he was young, but for some reason missed most of them in and around Oregon. The kids had only seen a few neat places on day trips with aunts and uncles that have since moved out of the state. So I get to play tour guide, experiencing the wonder of places I’ve been before with fresh eyes while I see them light up as they take in the beauty and scale of a scene or landmark. And I remember what it means to enjoy a place as they run around and play. Why stand there and look at a redwood when you can climb around on its giant trunk and roots?
When I was younger, I lived for giant mountains, cascading waterfalls, or rocky landscapes smelling of sagebrush. I was disappointed if a vista or landmark didn’t meet my expectations. As I’ve traveled more and more, I have become more intentional about finding the beauty in everything. On my last big road trip, I drove through several states visiting friends and relatives. This included Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Southwestern states. After leaving Denver, I expected to be bored and sad that the mountains were behind me. Instead, I gazed at the wide horizon as I drove through endless green cornfields in Kansas, interrupted by the “Cathedral of the Plains” (a beautiful church in the middle of nowhere). I then reveled in century-old art deco architecture in Tulsa, Oklahoma before my friend there took me kayaking on a reservoir surrounded by every color of green tree. Texas had fascinating finds, too, but I’m running out of room to write. I haven’t even begun to discuss how interesting people are all over the world. But I think you get my point.
The beautiful world of scenery and humanity is only the beginning. Someday, we will soak in the grandeur of Heaven and God Himself. Until then, let’s practice seeing the world we’re in now with childlike wonder.
About the Author
Jessie is a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a blog about travel and the journeys of women. She is very excited to be a part of the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her sweet husband, Chris, their 5 funny kids, and 1 fluffy cat in Springfield. She loves hiking and other outdoor and indoor adventures with her family.