You kinda have to see her face to really understand.
Ava is 21 months old. Her parents will tell you she is increasingly vested in the “terrible twos” stage, even if her arrival is a tad early.
Like most kids her age Ava makes sounds, is saying words and even tiny sentences. She knows her animals and her acute sense of hearing identifies even the slightest chirp, woof, meow or moo.
A dog barks in the distance and Ava sticks out her index finger, seemingly beckoning the rest of us to listen. A bird tweets in an overhead tree—her finger points as if in triumph. Then you look directly into her eyes.
Ava’s are not just blue. They are stunningly blue. They remind me of those ads for tinted contact lenses. But it’s not merely the color of her eyes that grab me. It’s what she does with them.
When surprised or delighted, Ava’s eyebrows shoot up. Her mouth puckers into the shape of someone saying “ooh”—but maybe working too hard at it. Her face is equal parts delight and wonder. We call it her surprise face.
There’s no mistaking the look. And at 21 months, she’s just cagey enough to know her surprise face brings attention and smiles. Depending on her mood, she might just perform for you.
That’s great for Ava. What about you and me?
Our world is not just sprinkled but doused—even drenched—in wonder and delight. Yet scarce is the man or woman who has anything at all resembling a “surprise face.” Most of us are fabulous with frowns, terrific with tension and awesome with arrogance. But a surprise face? A happy look of delight and discovery? Well, you might say many of us could use a makeover.
Pour yourself a tall glass of wonder today. Drink deeply of God’s creation. Then check out your surprise face in a mirror. You might just be…surprised!
A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.
–Proverbs 15:13