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An Invitation to Be Amazed

It’s been all fairy gardens and trips to the lake with family and fun this summer for my little tribe.       This week we step back into the grindstone of school and homework and sports (well indoor sports because I don’t like to sweat).  I often tell my children the Bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue, and this morning I felt a challenge rising within myself to determine what I will say over my little ones this school year.

I was reading this morning and ran across a verse that grabbed me.  

 “But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.”  Luke 9:42-43

What caught my eye was the similarity to another verse that I have been turning over in my mind lately.

“51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,“ Mark 6:51

Two very different situations.  Two very similar responses.  In the first scenario Jesus performs a miracle and heals a little boy. Everyone is amazed. In the second situation Jesus brings peace to a raging storm by climbing into the boat with his disciples. One version says they were utterly astounded.

I spend a lot of time pretending to be amazed.  “Mommy, watch me walk on my hands!”  I pretend to be amazed.  “Mommy, look at the picture I drew!”  I pretend to be amazed.  “Mommy, watch me zoom so fast!” Again, I feign astonishment.  But think of a time when you were really amazed.  I mean truly, utterly astonished.  Maybe it was a breath taking sunset or a real life miracle.  Hold onto that feeling for a minute. I’m coming back to it...

My girls and I were singing to this Seeds Family Worship song driving in the car yesterday and it lead to a little talk about life.  The song, Psalm 95:1-4, says,
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.
3 
For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
4 
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.”

Life is full of seasons, and as we enter a new school year I am sure we will face both depths and mountain peaks.  I told my littles that sometimes they will feel like everything is great and they are winning at life, but other times life will be HARD. And they won’t understand why their hearts hurt so much.  But this song says that Both seasons are in Gods hand- the highs and the lows.  Times change but the Rock of our salvation does not!  

And I see an invitation here.  We can invite Jesus into this school year and prepare our hearts to be amazed-truly utterly astounded.  He may bring miracles or he may climb into the boat with us that is rocked by storms and breath Peace.  Peace that causes astonishment.  I know I need both.  What He wants from us is songs of praise and thanksgiving and He will bring the joy that can only come from One who is above every situation.

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