wonder and connection

"What if the healing of the cancer patient and attracting the attention of a child with a passing butterfly are of equal importance in moving people toward a relationship with God?"

This question is found within Matt Litton's well-written book, The Mockingbird Parables (Tyndale, 2010, p. 32). There is a profundity embedded in such a query, for it reminds us why wonder exists, and demonstrates the workings of God as nothing short of miraculous regardless of when and where they are found. Too often we forget about such things.

But what if we were to stop, for a moment, and recognize the wonder that encompasses us in this world? Right now it is snowing outside of my window. There was a time when I marveled at the event, which somewhere turned into the cause of grumbling about the inconvenience it brings to my life. Rather than being fascinated by the way in which God chose to make the world he created for his own enjoyment, I am distracted by self.

Without wonder we cannot find God.

The delight within a laughing child from the liveliness of a butterfly in the air is a moment of connection to the Creator. For it is the Maker who also chose to delight in the liveliness of that flying insect, now becoming a shared moment of joy with the innocent response of the young. Have we yet to realize that when we have grown old enough to overlook the wonders of the world we have also lost a sense of his presence?

Along with the passing butterfly, Litton's comment speaks of the healing of cancer. It is human nature to place the latter event into a more powerful and profound category than the former, but neither is the case for God - though one may be a more serious and reflective event - for he is equally able to accomplish any task that he wills. Yes, our world is complex and troublesome, but that should not lead us to believe that anything is too impossible for the Almighty.

So, what is the purpose of God interacting in our world. Whether found in butterflies or healing, God comes to us with one singular purpose: to reveal himself and connect with our hearts. He does this through the story of our life, sometimes while we are captured with the sheer brilliance of the world, other times when we are struggling to make it through the challenges which surround us.

But, nevertheless, he is there . . . waiting to catch our attention.