I have struggled lately to have a sense of wonder with our children since I have been laid up for a few weeks.

This is a first for me. I know some of you readers are in unusual circumstances which are much worse than me including heart surgeries, having covid, etc. You have come to mind which lead to praying for you. My frailty has opened my eyes to others’ sufferings.

Now that my time these days has come to a slow crawl, one of the many things I have grown to see in myself are idols that seem more noteworthy. The extra time not being used to drive the children places, cook, clean, etc. has brought them to light more.

1. I LOVE my comfort. I had no idea how high maintenance I am until I couldn’t meet my own needs….. like a squeeze of lemon in my water with a dash of stevia in my S’well stainless drink canister that keeps my drink extra cold.

2. I really LOVE control. I like to oversee laundry, the cleaning of the kitchen, the garden weeds, etc. but have not been able to follow everyone around to see about it all. I am quite sure this is a welcome relief to the kids. 🤣

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As I began my day a week or so ago , I asked God to somehow give me a sense of wonder with the kids as a new day was beginning.

God did it!! It began with an invitation from Calvin to take me on a spin in our mule (not an animal😊.) I had not attempted this yet but I was so glad when Calvin pulled up my ride to the back door. Hooray!! When he asked me to go it was usually when we begin book work for school but I knew immediately that this was “wonder.” (I also knew this kid is a smart cookie to time it just right during book work. 😉)

Calvin was smiling big as he said, “Want to pick a bouquet as we travel along?” he knows this mama well.

We chased butterflies and by “chase” I mean in the moving utility vehicle.

We laughed, hunted down the cows across the pasture, picked figs from our new trees, felt raindrops cover us, and chopped down giant sunflowers to dissect and roast the seeds.

A sense of wonder was truly happening.

Later, we continued our study of Vincent Van Gogh as we focused on his sunflower paintings from 1888 before he passed away in 1890.

A day of WONDER INDEED!

We do not want to merely see beauty, though, God knows, even that it is beauty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words- – to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to BECOME part of it.”

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory