Matthew 18:2–4

“He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’”

There is a wonderful moment on Disney’s Peter Pan’s Flight when your pirate ship leaves the nursery, rises into the air, and suddenly you are soaring above London. Below you are tiny streets and twinkling lights, and ahead lies Never Land.

For a few minutes, you are invited to see the world through the eyes of a child again—a world where flying seems possible, adventure waits around every corner, and there is still room for wonder.

Maybe that is part of what Jesus is inviting us to rediscover.

When the disciples ask Jesus who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus doesn’t point to the strongest, wisest, most successful, or most accomplished person in the room.

He calls a child.

Jesus isn’t asking us to become childish. He is inviting us to become childlike—to approach God with humility, trust, openness, and wonder.

Somewhere along the way, adulthood can teach us that we need to have everything figured out. We become cautious. We want answers before taking the next step. We rely on what we can see, understand, and control.

But faith often asks something different of us.

Faith says, Trust me.

Faith says, Stay open.

Faith says, There is more happening here than you can see.

Perhaps childlike faith is the willingness to believe that God can still surprise us. To approach an ordinary day expecting that grace might appear somewhere we didn’t anticipate. To ask questions without needing immediate answers. To trust God’s hand even when we cannot see exactly where we are going.

Maybe we haven’t outgrown wonder.

Maybe we’ve simply forgotten to look for it.

Pause & Reflect

Where have you become so accustomed to life that you no longer expect to be surprised by God?

What would it look like to approach God today with the trust and openness of a child?

Is there something you are trying desperately to understand or control that God may be asking you simply to entrust to him?

And finally:

Where might God be inviting you to rediscover wonder?

Today, pay attention.

Look up.
Stay curious.
Notice something beautiful.
Ask a question.
Trust a little more deeply.

The kingdom of God may be closer than you think.

Prayer

Wonder-filled God,
somewhere along the way,
we learned to depend on what we can understand,
manage, and control.

Teach us again the faith of a child.

Give us eyes that still notice wonder,
hearts that remain open to surprise,
and spirits willing to trust you
even when we cannot see the whole journey ahead.

Help us enter this day with curiosity,
humility, and expectation,
believing that your grace
can still take us places we never imagined.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 Ronda Welander