Once Upon A Time…

A long time ago in a living room far, far away, a young Nathan hoisted his 20 pound monitor into a room with four friends and proceeded to game for hours. 

Such an activity, known as a LAN party, would earn one the moniker of “nerd”, which wasn’t a compliment. While a nerd might refer to someone who is intellectually adept, in my childhood it became a label for those deemed out of touch with reality. It was generally assumed nerds would suffer from obesity, perpetual apathy, and crippling singleness. I’ve talked to parents who are deeply disturbed by their child’s fascination with anything other than concrete reality. I’m writing today to both admonish and encourage those parents.

Parents, let me put your mind at ease: Your fantastically fascinated child is not broken. They are not a lost cause. There is great hope, and their ability to be amazed by simple things is actually a good sign, not a bad one. 

The Power of a Nerdy Mind

When I was in elementary school I had a teacher who believed in me. I was an energetic youth—the kind who was singled out and sent into the hall when groups of students misbehaved. Teachers quickly realized everyone else behaved when I was gone, and I took very few sick days.

But one teacher, Mrs. Johnson, pulled me aside after Library time one day. She got down on one knee, looked me straight in the eyes and said “Nathan, don’t every lose your energy and joy.” You can imagine that blew my socks off. I was ready for a lecture and didn’t know what to make of it. She continued, “Adults know how to behave, but they forget how to be amazed. So keep your energy, but know the right time and place to use it.”

She stood up, I walked out to catch my class, and that was the last we spoke of it. That was probably close to 30 years ago. I now have three children of my own and I repeat those words to them. 

See Mrs. Johnson knew my mind wasn’t defective. I didn’t need to be fixed, I needed to be focused. What I didn’t know at the time was the Mrs. Johnson was a nerd. She made our Library a full mural of the San Francisco waterfront. She made the computer lab a glow-in-the-dark spaceship. She knew from first-hand experience that the part of us described as “nerd” is often a beautiful thing that needs to be directed in a healthful way.

C.S. Lewis put it this way: “He does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods; the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted.” The nerd in us doesn’t have to distract from the good. It can, in fact, add to it.

Steward The Gift Well

So for those out there who have a nerdy soul, be encouraged: That wonder you experience is a gift. Your opportunity now is to trust it to God and take only the wonder he gives you. Don’t go to these places seeking your joy. Don’t seek your satisfaction in gaming, anime, comic con or streaming shows.

Recognize that when you begin to pursue wonder as an end in itself it will become twisted and self-destructive. You will notice a decline in relationships, a neglect of your responsibilities, and a tendency to become untethered from the time and space God has called you to be.

The solution? Recognize every wonder you seek is just a shadow, a pale reflection, of the true wonder of God. Run to him for your purpose and pleasure. Read his Word, pray and talk with him, and follow where his Spirit leads you. You’ll find all the wonder, adventure, and peace you were looking for all wrapped into one. 

Parents, we can learn from our children’ hearts, and we’d be wise to do the same. We can all do with a little more nerd in our souls.