What I love about kids is their ability to get excited. The look on their face when they see something for the first time is priceless. We all need to get excited sometimes and there are many things that do that for us, but do we get excited about the right things? It’s always exciting to see a major fireworks display or to attend a show featuring our favorite entertainer. But do we ever look around us and get excited about the wonders of God’s world? Little kids do it all the time.
Walking around the block with a three-year-old is full of excitement. Just look at the sparkle in their eyes when the neighbor’s dog runs out to greet them, the joy of finding a flurry of wildflowers growing along the sidewalk….and picking some for Mom, peeking through the bushes because sometimes a bunny hides there. Stopping to inspect an ant bed….and look at that shiny rock glistening in the sun! If only we could store this excitement and re-use it in the future. If only those eyes never lost that sparkle. But we know, in a few short years, the troubles of life will cause that sparkle to fade and they will no longer find joy in the simple act of walking around the block with Grandma.
Kids today get excited when Bluetooth comes out with a new electronic device or some new smart phone shows up on the market, but seldom do they notice the pure beauty in the changing of the seasons as the leaves turn fiery orange, bright yellow and red….glowing like a fire pit when touched by the sun. The little ones’ eyes might sparkle, but the older one’s mumble, “It’s just a bunch of trees, Grandma.”
Being from west Texas where the trees are mostly mesquite and don’t grow really tall, I was amazed by the trees in Indiana. My husband laughed at my excitement the first time I saw a group of sugar maples sparkling in their full fall colors. Then there were others with bright reds, purples and orange! What a glorious time of the year and how wonderful God is to show us such love by giving us such beauty to enjoy! Fall has become my favorite time of the year and it’s beauty still thrills me every time. I mentioned this to my mother-in-law several years ago and she replied, “Yes, it’s pretty, but It just reminds me of how sad they’ll look soon when the leaves are all gone and winter sets in.”
I told her, “Don’t think about that now, just enjoy the beauty. To me it’s like a promise from God that something even better is yet to come.”
“That’s a nice way to look at it, I guess.” she said doubtfully.
I pray I never lose the ability to get excited and life becomes so routine and boring that I lose sight of the beautiful things God surrounds us with every day. Even in the winter when snow covers everything and makes it hard to get around, we can still see the beauty of it lying softly on the bushes and sparkling like diamonds in the sun.
If life is getting you down and you can’t find anything to get excited about, right now is a good time to look around and see it. The trees right now, with their blazing colors, are shouting praises to Him. It reminds me of a verse in the Bible when Jesus was told to stop the people from praising him, He replied, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
I hope we never stop getting excited. Mostly I hope we always get excited at the mention of our Savior’s name. Excitement should fill us when walking into God’s house and feeling His presence there. May we always get excited when hearing His word preached and knowing our souls are safe in His care. I hope our hearts always fill with glory when singing songs of praise and worship wherever we are. It can be contagious and spread like wildfire if many of us share and…. get excited about Jesus!
