“I’m so sorry…for ringing your cowbell!” (Not an unfamiliar phrase to be uttered from these lips. At least the first part)! But last week at early voting in our county, my Burning Curiosity led me to, without permission, pick up the cute little cowbell sitting beside a computer monitor at the check-in desk. With her fingers occupied on top of a keyboard, the election commission worker could not stop my movements before the clapper dangling inside rang against the side of the copper bell causing everyone inside the room to react. My innocent inquiry of “Why do you have a cowbell?” was followed quickly with instructions for the room to not switch places yet. You see, that cute little cowbell was the cue for volunteers in the room to move to the next station. My Burning Curiosity created a bit of a stir, along with laughter from two people who knew me (thanks Nelda & Peggy), as I loudly stated to the room, “I’m so sorry. It’s not time to move yet! I’m so sorry!”

Thankfully, my Burning Curiosity didn’t seem to singe anyone too badly that day. It was a mid-morning on a weekday, and the room was mostly volunteers, but I imagine they were none too happy with this overly curious voter in their midst. At times, I worry that this innate desire to absorb as much knowledge about the world and the people around me can be a nuisance to others. My personal questions are never meant to invade someone’s privacy; they are meant to be a form of Appreciative Inquiry to gain information about how to best encourage, support, and love the people with whom I come in contact. That day at the voting center, I anticipated hearing an engaging story related to the cowbell that would offer me a glimpse into the personality of the person in front of me. I really did not expect a practical application to its presence.

Perhaps I should be careful to temper this Burning Curiosity when amidst strangers, especially when engaging in such an essential task as exercising my right to vote; but should you ever be on the receiving end of my inquires, please know that the motivation comes from the heart because God designed me with a need to see people flourish at life—to fulfill their God-given purpose and that usually requires hearing the narrative of a person’s story. So, rather than view this need to ask questions as a Burning Curiosity that can scorch others, perhaps a more appropriate perspective would be to embrace, as Casey Tygrett offers in Becoming Curious, a Gift of Curiosity.

When I switch perspectives, my Inner Scarlett emerges, and I become like a child on Christmas morning. “Children come wide open and breathless, while adults are grasping for the coffee and cameras, handling all the details. Children dive foolishly into the packages as if no one was watching. Adults look for a trash bag, trying to bring order out of the chaos. Kids give little thought to what their flourish looks like to others, they only hope for what might be waiting.”

So, today, I am choosing to accept the Gift of Curiosity that God provides, and I’m selecting His path “pursuing curiosity through Jesus” so that I might “find that instead of walking a straight line, this pilgrimage with God is actually a tight and imperceptible spiral that brings us back around to the beginning only to learn new things again.” It excites me to ponder Tygrett’s view that the Gift of Curiosity is a package just waiting to be opened, and we’ve been provided a proper model for using this gift. Consider this idea: “what if Jesus himself instigated the chase after questions like some sort of wise and loving prankster, planting little explosive ideas that when they combusted produced fruit and not fractures? What would it look like for us to create space-practice a spiritual discipline daily or weekly-where we gave ourselves permission to not know and to simply ask things of Jesus?”

As I engage in cultivating a Habit of Awareness—for others and God—in pursuit of a flourishing life, then a Gift of Curiosity becomes an essential skill that opens doors to knowledge and understanding. “[W]hen we open the door to questions and curiosity, things flow out that we don’t expect.” God offers us three little explosive ideas with the Gift of Curiosity: (1) permission to bring our questions to Him, as we see so frequently in Scripture like the Psalms; (2) tension that makes us think about what is true; and (3) rest for our souls. “Take the comforting words of Jesus to ‘find rest for your souls’ (Matthew 11:29) and realize that the same Jesus who calls to comfort also catalyzes our curiosity with his very words and actions.”

Feel free to establish proper boundaries with me if I ask questions that are a bit too personal; however, don’t be shocked when the Gift of Curiosity leads to Probing Conversations because I desire to truly know you; in a much deeper way than my interactions with the employee at the grocery store. My hope is that the flames from my Burning Curiosity will not singe you, but instead bring you the warmth as you would experience cozying up to a campfire.

Reference:

Tygrett, C. (2017). Becoming curious: A spiritual practice of asking questions. IVP Books.