I have the great privilege of going on holidays with my wife and kids - cheaper airfares and a stronger Sing dollar compared to when I was a kid mean that many more options are now open to us! I know some people's idea of a holiday is to chill out on the beach. Others involve hiking through jungles or mountains. I don't know what kind of tourist are you, but I'm the type who likes to walk around and see stuff. I particularly like urban attractions - buildings, museums, monuments, gardens. So my wife and kids get dragged around various places, and it's not uncommon for us to log 20+ km by foot in a day! My eyes get all wide open at the amazing things around me.
So a while ago I got back from holiday and it was back to work, with the usual Monday morning meeting. Our meeting room happens to overlook Lau Pa Sat. I've seen it a thousand times, and eaten there hundreds of times. But as I was sitting at the meeting room table, somehow my eye hadn't quite adjusted back to work mode. And the thought popped into my head, "Whoa that's a cool building. Look at the clock tower and the bells. And the spokes that radiate out from the centre of the building, just like a clock in turn. That's amazing."
No wonder so many tourists stand around taking pictures when I'm having my lunch. I almost whipped out my phone to take a picture of Lau Pa Sat, and then I caught myself - meeting is still going on :D
I guess my point is that sometimes our eyes and our whole lives get jaded. And it's nice to put on those eyes of a child again, enraptured in wonder!
The Bible records the life of Job, whose biggest claim to fame was to have lost everything - family, friends, possessions. But even in the midst of all his trouble, he was sustained, and eventually rescued from his trouble. And he observed in wonder, "God spreads out the skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight... He marks out the horizon... He churns up the sea...
And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?" Job 26:7-14
But life is hectic, and often unforgiving. Even for our children. So what can I do, as a parent, to maintain that sense of wonder in my children? To have that sense of amazement for the wonderful world that God has created for us? Because the alternative of walking through life as a cynic, "aiyah, nothing much... aiyah, no big deal... aiyah, what's so good about that?"... is simply... an ungrateful way to live. Whereas if we go about amazed and grateful at the world around us, then we're far more likely to want to explore, protect, grow and help.
Just yesterday, my friends and I were at our usual bread distribution exercise at our adopted rental block. Life is not easy for the residents. But three encounters with different families spoke to me about wonder.
The first encounter was with a single mum with two kids. I had prayed for the two kids previously when they were preparing for their mid-year examinations, so this time, I asked how the examinations had gone. The mum was clearly discouraged by the results, and tired of having to discipline her kids. I really felt her pain - it's no fun to have to nag children, because we really love them so much and want them to be happy. So I encouraged her - look, many people in the world are going to look at the results and tell your kids, they're no good, they'll never amount to anything. But there's one person who's going to tell them otherwise - you! (And me, I added). We're going to praise them every time they put in the effort. And we're not going to let the world beat down these kids. And even as I said these things to her, I was amazed - because the two kids heard us. You know what they did? Without even being asked, they went to their schoolbags, pulled out their books, and started doing their work. The wonderful power of encouragement!
The second encounter was with an elderly couple. I hadn't spoken to them at length before, but the man was clearly diabetic, because his left foot was amputated, and his right only had two toes. But big smiles on their faces, happy people. When we passed them the bread, they asked for a second loaf, so we said sure, and handed it over, but asked who else lives here? And they said, our grandchildren. And I asked, oh, they live here with you? And they said yeah, the mum (their daughter) passed away from cancer, at 39, and the father was a bum. So they had brought up the two kids. Imagine that - ill, no education, living in a rental flat, then having to take over your grandchildren. And guess what? One kid already in secondary school, the other in polytechnic. And so proud of them. What an amazing job they did.
The third encounter was with my long time friends, another elderly couple. I don't cover their floor any more, because I've taken over some other floors, but whenever I'm done, I'll try to pop in just for a while anyway. Both had just come out of hospital - but you'd never have known it. Grateful just for the loaf of bread we brought, but most happy just to see an old friend and give a hug, get to know the young new helpers, and ask about other friends they hadn't seen for a while. You know what that is? Simple wonder. Wonder at the provision of God, in sending friends and love their way.
I am so blessed. If work is tough, if parenting is stressful, even if health is not quite the same at 40+ than it was at 20+, I just need to put on the eyes of wonder again - to wonder at the marvels of the world around me, even those things I've seen a hundred times before; to wonder at the power of an encouraging word; to wonder at the resilience of parents and grandparents; and to wonder at the love of God and His people. Thank You Jesus!
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