Through the Eyes of a Child

Because of the Lord ’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NIV)

Last week Richard and had had the joy of spending a week at the beach with our family, including our granddaughters: Cecelia who will be 5 next month and Emma who is turning 1 tomorrow.  Richard and I could have gone to the beach by ourselves and had a very relaxing and enjoyable time. Even though Emma's parents were with us, two small children are a lot of work on a beach vacation!  But if we had travelled alone, Richard and I would have missed so much.

We watched Cecelia remember her past beach trips with us and rekindle her love for the ocean and its gifts.  She revelled in finding pretty shells and shiny black sharks' teeth.  She was excited to discover "run-away birds"... the little sandpipers that run away from the surf and then back to find the food the waves uncovered for them.  She was amazed at the show some dolphins put on for us as we watched them jump and play very close to shore one day.  Cecelia would often talk to the ocean as if it were a person, thanking it for the shells and for sending waves for her to play in.  On our last morning she told the ocean good-bye and that she would miss it.

And then there was Emma and her week of discovery on her very first trip to the beach.  She loved it!    As I watched as her mother sat her in the sand for the first time it was as though I was seeing it all for the first time through her eyes.  She felt it, scrunched it, tossed it and tasted it!  And then she found the water!  Each time she would be put down she would toddle or crawl toward the ocean.  She loved it!  She was not afraid of the waves and laughed when they would splash her in the face. She trusted that her parents and grandparents would not let her get hurt.

The week reminded me that we should always keep a part of our inner child alive and active... especially in our faith lives.  We need to hold on to the wonder of it all.  We need to be amazed and excited about life and about God.  God's blessings and mercies are new every morning and so there is always new things to discover and to be amazed at every single day.  Look for it. Examine it and find the joy.  See it all again through the eyes of a child.

Father,
Help us to discover the newness of your creation today.  Keep us safe as we explore, see, hear, feel and taste our surroundings with joy and excitement.  Amen.