Eight o'clock on a Sunday morning. I love this time of day. My roommate is at home for the weekend, the dorm hall is quiet, and it's cloudy outside. Perfect time to focus.
I flipped though my Bible, looking for something "significant" to learn. My eyes flew over the book of Zephaniah, and I remembered a verse in that book that had changed my life when I was sixteen. Scanning the pages, I found the verse:
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you with his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
-Zephaniah 3:17
When I heard this verse when I was sixteen, it was at a time that I had really been questioning whether God cared about me. Between this verse, the last verse of the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," and a message given by one of the Bible teachers at my high school, I was shown that God cared about me, His child.
As I reread this verse this morning, I was struck by how little I realize the truth in this verse. Being raised in a Christian home, going to Christian schools, the wonder and joy of the Christian walk has become less of a wonder and a joy. I had a conversation with some friends a couple of nights ago about philosophies of education, and sometimes I wish I had gone to public school my whole life, so that coming to Biola, I could have a deeper appreciation for the Christian community which I have come to take for granted.
I want to rediscover this verse and the joys within this verse. I want to feel the presence of God surrounding me. I want to realize anew the miracle of the cross. I want to dance because I am so overwhelmed with the love of Christ.
But right now I feel like I have lost that wonder.
Now that I think about it...that has been a recurring theme since I started school hear...remembering how to wonder.
Wonder was huge for me last year... and I continue to be reminded of it.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of that is Dr. Reynolds' doing, because he talks about it a lot... for good reason. :)