Take Care to Wonder

Rain kept us indoors all day.

Isaac wanted help looking for his clarinet music that's been packed away. I dug through two tubs of stuff with no luck for him. BUT, I surprised myself finding a piece I've wanted for months – and didn't even know was in my possession. (Click on the photo above for a closer view.)

I found it in an old folder of guitar music. My heart leaped when I opened the green folder and saw a book called "Hymnal for Young Christians" first copyrighted 1966. I felt compelled to page through the loose pages in the front.

Between page 46 and 32, I found page 148. (Yes, the pages were quite jumbled.) From its top, I read "Wonder-Full World" by James Thiem. I scanned the page recognizing the refrain and FIVE verses for the song which begins: "Take care to wonder at the world through which you wander. Never hurry by an open door, for you live in a universe, full of miracles galore."

Last September, I wrote about this song in a post called Miracles Galore. I remembered my first-grade teacher instilling this song upon my heart to teach us to love all God's creation. Unfortunately, time had erased all but the first verse from my memory.

I attempted several internet searches trying to locate the song. Quite often my search would begin after someone else had "googled" this song and checked out my blog post as a reference. (That's the beauty of a STATcounter. It allows the patron to see how people reach his/her website.) As I browsed over their inquiry selections, I realized these people's searches also seemed to dead end.

My sister helped me seek information from our parochial elementary school. Her son now attends our alma mater and some of the same teachers still work there. Unfortunately, none of them had a copy of the 1970s "orange songbook" from which I remembered singing "Wonder-Full World." Even the church office failed to find a copy in their files. (Thanks for trying, Tam!)

I had one other internet lead to follow up with at a church camp in Illinois noted in a theology student's doctorate which made mention of this song. However, other things in my life took precedence over writing to the camp headquarters. And, what was the chance they'd still have a songbook from decades years ago?

Upon finding this treasure today, I noticed guitar chords written – in red pencil – above the music. Then, another grade-school memory returned: At our children's church services, guitar song leaders stood up front playing this song.

I leafed through other music in the green folder and found a red piece of construction paper. There – in my elementary scrawl – was this song and the chords copied to practice at home. Of course! I'd been one of those guitar song leaders.

BING! (The light bulb went on.) No wonder this song stuck with me through the years.(Although I'm still uncertain how this hymnal came into my possession... picked up later at a church rummage sale?)

Today, I grabbed my guitar, strummed and sang the first verse:

"Look for God in small things: drops of rain or a grain of sand. Praise him whenever you find him in anything small."

I gave thanks for the rain. It led me to today's small miracle and allows me to hold true my promise: to post this song for others who "Take Care to Wonder."


Here are the other verses:

vs 2. Look for God in bright things: Someone's eyes or the skies at noon. Praise him whenever you find him in anything bright.

vs. 3. Look for God in black things: Storms at dusk or a brother's skin. Praise him whenever you find him in anything black.

vs. 4. Look for God in weak things: Newborn deer or a fearful child. Praise him whenever you find him in anything weak.

vs. 5. Look for God in wet things: Dewy grass or a glass of wine. Praise him whenever you find him in anything wet.






Come! Rejoice with me.

What was once lost

is now found.

Luke 15:6,9,32





Now, about Isaac's clarinet music. Hmmm?

Post Script Note:
March 2, 2011

Sonia, click This One's for You below to hear the song.