The WONDERS of our WONDER-ful God

On their daily EMnation YouTube video, my daughter held up a loaf of Wonder Bread and mentioned that Alexia, her daughter, prefers her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread. Obviously nutrition wasn’t the topic of Larry and Staci’s video, but the “Wonder Bread” story was. In 1921, the Taggert Baking Company of Indianapolis was planning to launch its 1.5 pound loaf of bread. Elmer Cline was charged with finding a name for the new bread. Inspiration struck while he was visiting the International Balloon Race at the Indianapolis Speedway. He was awestruck by a sky filled with hundreds of colorful balloons. To Elmer, the image signified a sense of “wonder,” and Wonder® Bread was born. Notice all those balloons on the packaging! Now you know the rest of the story. You’re welcome!

That word, “wonder” is what inspired me most. There’s something about children that God wants us to see. If you want to witness a natural display of a sense of wonder, just observe a child. A child's whole world is viewed through the eyes of wonder and excitement. A child has no judgments of why things are so, but rather a child is in awe of life and views life through innocence, purity and curiosity. You may have often heard the term "be childlike," referring to our adult self to let go of the adult ego and be more open and curious. The truth is that we lose our sense of wonder as we become adults.The future is wide open for them, and they seem to know it. Their wide-eyes of wonder are easy to recognize. Wide-eyed with wonder, filled with potential, children are ready to try new things and build new possibilities. Unhindered by the past, they are free to chase after whatever the future holds. And you know what? That’s the childlike spirit that God wants to give all of us.

There is no theme park or even the seven wonders of the world to compare to our “wonder-working” God. Think of it: The one true God is a God of wonders. The Bible is full of accounts of the great acts God performed for His people. Psalm 77:11–14 says: "I will remember the deeds of the Lᴏʀᴅ; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." God’s wonders are supernatural acts beyond human understanding. Through extraordinary signs, the God of wonders demonstrates His limitless power, His inescapable presence, His divine protection, and His sovereign purposes. In each instance, God’s wondrous works are designed to draw people to Himself. Through His most stunning of all miracles, the God of wonders revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, overcame the power of sin and death, and redeemed His people for all eternity.

So, when you are “wondering” about your mistakes, that you are too old, too wounded, too limited, too whatever……I suggest that you remember --- with wide-eyed wonder -- about our loving and faithful God Who is up to something WONDER-ful in your life. None of us are so bound by our past that God can’t open new doors for us in the future. Our Father has great plans for us. He has a future full of hope laid out for us. Now it’s up to us to run into that future with all the confidence of a little child Whose Dad is the WONDER-worker and miracle-maker.

The Curiosity and Wonder of a Child

The Curiosity and Wonder of a Child
This post was inspired by a friend who explained how she was off and running, after her baby started walking and was getting into EVERYTHING! Our lives come in stages. The first stage is infancy when that precious newborn can only cry, sleep, eat and provide reasons for diapers – lots of them. At first, he can only detect light and motion and after about a month, he can make eye contact and focus on objects about 12 inches away. But when his full vision comes to be, a whole new world is opened to him. His is the world of curiosity and adventure as he reaches and puts his little hands on everything. In fact, he is so curious that we have to cover our electric sockets because those little fingers want to discover what those holes are all about. Curiosity and wonder are inbred in this little one. Then he starts to walk. This is the sweetest, yet often concerning times for his parents, as my friend shared: “What’s he going to get into next? Oh my goodness – he pulled all the toilet paper off the roll! He's eating the dog's food!” Then he starts to talk and soon is asking questions. Remember those little ones asking “What's that? Why? Why is the sky blue?” “Why does the dog bark?”

He’s curious, inquisitive, wondering AND wandering. Oh, to be filled with curiosity and a sense of wonder and awe again – like those little ones! Don’t you know that is something that God wants for us, as His children, to embrace again? We who have lived several decades know what it is to become busy with life and pressing needs like food, water and shelter so we leave little room for curiosity, being inquisitive and finding wonder. We know what it is to make mistakes, so we become a little gun-shy (cautious) with life, instead of giving our curiosity full reign to being spontaneous to new adventures, asking questions, and seeking new ways of doing things. That’s not the case with children. The future is wide open for them, and they seem to know it. Wide-eyed with wonder, filled with potential, they are ready to see the possibilities all around them. Unhindered by the past, they are free to wake up each morning with enthusiasm and delight for what this day holds.

That’s the childlike spirit that God wants for all of us. God doesn’t us to think we are too old, too wounded, too limited, too whatever. Adventure awaits us when we take off the restraints of complacency. May we become curious again. May we seek and find treasures in friends who have knowledge and a wealth of wisdom to share. There are exciting places to go and things to do. Our Father has great plans for us. It’s up to us to run into that future with all the confidence of a little child!
Matthew 18:2-4 “Jesus called a little child to him. He stood the child before the followers. Then he said, “I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.”