Childlike\nwonder is a precious gift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is so much fun to observe the awe of children as they plunge into the present moment. They exhibit an eager and relentless curiosity, whether exploring the flora and fauna in the backyard or dismantling their toys to figure out how they actually work. They burst forth with such intense joy during spontaneous play as they gleefully cry out \u201cAgain!! Again!!\u201d They tirelessly yearn for the eternal in their experience of the present moment. They instinctively and effortlessly convert a large open room into a playground or an adventure zone. They easily overlook the expensive Christmas gift their parents have purchased, instead playing for hours with the large cardboard box or the shiny wrapping paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ncommon denominator in all of these experiences is a marvelous human capacity to\nbe wholly and wholeheartedly present in the present moment. We do not need to\nteach our children how to do this; they do it effortlessly. It is hardwired\ninto our humanity. God has put the timeless into our hearts (Ecclesiastes\n3:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, the trials and traumas of life often leave us splintered and fragmented, and we \u201cgrown-ups\u201d can be much more guarded about entering freely and wholeheartedly into the present moment. We hold parts of ourselves back. This self-protection is so sad because the present moment is the only thing that really exists! The past is irretrievably gone, no matter how much we cling to it or dwell upon it. The future is not yet here and is largely unknown to us, no matter how much we try to control it. Certainly it is wise to learn from the past and plan for the future, but ultimately the \u201cnow\u201d of the present moment is the one and only space in which we can encounter the living God. All times are simultaneously and perfectly present to him. There is no before and after, only the \u201cnow\u201d of his eternal existence. As the most unique of all God\u2019s creatures, made in his own image and likeness, we humans are most fully ourselves when we abide in the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\nlearn in Scripture that the beginning of Wisdom is to be found in the fear of\nthe Lord (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs\n9:10). The \u201cfear\u201d that leads to wisdom is not a cowering or groveling fear, and\nit is most definitely not the paralyzing fear that many of us know all too\nwell. It is what Saint Thomas Aquinas calls \u201cfilial fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas\ndescribes the difference between \u201cfilial fear\u201d and \u201cservile fear.\u201d Servile fear\nis a slave-like fear, motivated primarily by avoiding punishment. This kind of\nfear can certainly be a strong motivator, but it is not what sets us apart in\nthe image and likeness of God. The fear of pain or punishment is something that\nwe share with all our fellow mammals. It can be a helpful beginning to wake us\nup or turn us away from a destructive path. But servile fear will not lead us\nto grow in Wisdom. Indeed, it is much more likely to pull us out of the present\nmoment. From a brain science perspective, servile fear kicks in our survival\nresponse of \u201cfight or flight or freeze.\u201d In those moments, our prefrontal\ncortex (the higher and more rational part of our brain) goes offline as our\nsurvival instincts take over. Survival mode is great when our life is on the\nline. But it does not allow for childlike wonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Filial\nfear, by contrast, is what sons and daughters have towards a loving,\nbenevolent, and merciful father. They cherish him and their relationship with\nhim. They desire that relationship to grow ever more intimate and shun anything\nthat would turn them away from that joyful communion of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many\nof us still need to make the journey of maturity from servile fear to filial\nfear, a journey described so beautifully by Paul in Romans 8: \u201cFor you did not\nreceive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit\nof adoption, through which we cry, \u2018Abba, Father!\u2019 The Spirit itself bears\nwitness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then\nheirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so\nthat we may also be glorified with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith\nis a gift, utterly undeserved. It moves mountains, removing any and all\nobstacles that get in the way of us growing into the glorious freedom of the\nchildren of God. Restored by Faith, we can rediscover an even greater childlike\nwonder, which leads us to true Wisdom. We can rediscover the spontaneous joy\nand gratitude and praise that come from abiding in the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\na special gift to grow into during this time of COVID-19, in which many are\nfeeling bored or understimulated. The words of G.K. Chesterton come to\nmind: \u201cThere is no such thing on\nearth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an\nuninterested person<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n If\nwe become again like little children, even the smallest blessings of daily life\ncan become an unmitigated experience of wonder and awe in God\u2019s presence. All\nis gift, and his glory shines everywhere in the creatures he has made. Those\nwho become again like little children can experience it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are the cardboard boxes God is dropping into your life today? Are you ready to receive them with awe and praise and gratitude? What is holding you back from being wholeheartedly in the present? Are there parts of your heart that resist, hesitate, or bail out? Will you let the soothing balm of the Holy Spirit calm you, opening all of your heart to receive the glorious freedom of the children of God? It is a freedom that can only be experienced in the \u201cnow\u201d of the present moment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Childlike wonder is a precious gift. It is so much fun to observe the awe of children as they plunge into the present moment. They exhibit an eager and relentless curiosity, whether exploring the flora and fauna in the backyard or dismantling their toys to figure out how they actually work. They burst forth with … <\/p>\n