Recognizing & Recalling Wonders

Amy is celebrating her 100th post and giving away some goodies. If you hurry you can join in - the deadline is today, and you can enter by commenting at her blog or posting about a sign, miracle, or wonder in your life.

In our overview study of the entire Bible this school year, I was convicted by how often the Israelites recounted God's faithfulness -- even including the details of their disobedience -- many years after the event. (I discussed it here if you're interested.) Those thoughts came back to me as I tried to think of some spectacular "thing" that I could relate that qualifies as a sign, miracle, or wonder.

And then I thought: "Why do we I always require an earth-shattering event to get our my attention?" God has declared His wonders in so many ways in my life. How often I have taken for granted....

• Waking each morning to a new day
• The intricacy of the physical body; I don't have to tell my heart to beat or my lungs to breathe or the myriad of cellular functions to do their "jobs."
• His faithfulness, grace and mercy.
• The steadfast love of my husband
• The wondrous blessing of being a mom to my son and daughter
• Spring's fresh newness following winter's dormancy
• Food, clothing, and a roof over my head
• A church family and the freedom to worship
• Laughter
• Tears
• Friendship

I could go on and on and on.

A specific wonder in my life came when my mom's health declined and we moved her from Houston to an Assisted Living facility near me in 2001. Because she was in a health crisis, things needed to be done rather quickly. She initially was hospitalized in Houston and then transferred to a hospital here. I looked into several Assisted Living places while she was in the hospital, and the one only 5 minutes from my house just "happened" to have the best type of room become available right when we needed it and in the most convenient spot in the whole place!

Next, my attention (with my siblings' help) was turned to cleaning out her house and preparing to sell it. (My dad had died 4 years previously and not much had changed since then - I think she had gotten rid of his clothes.) My folks were classic Depression-era Pack Rats. They had fortunately moved when I was in high school and so had "only" lived in that house about 24 years. They had saved not only every bill they had received (and most other pieces of mail), but kept them in their envelopes as well as all the little junky inserts that are included in them! We are talking major volume of stuff!

We made a few weekend trips to do a little and move the things my mom would need up here. I figured it would take months to clean out the house. My brother and my husband and I tackled it with a vengeance that Memorial Day weekend. Wow! People were knocking on the door to buy furniture and kitchen items, and by the end of the weekend the house was empty; my brother got it on the market by Thursday, and within 24 hours we had 3 offers.

This was just a nutshell version - it was uncanny the way every detail just clicked into place. Almost before we knew a need, it was answered and supplied abundantly.

The significance, besides the obvious comfort and easing of our way, is this: Years before, when I had related a divine "coincidence" to my mom and said "God handled that one", her reply was that "God's awful busy to be worried about your {insert minor detail}." Having been raised with that mindset, even though my folks were believers, I was now convinced as never before that God was indeed involved in the details of my life!

But there is a wonder that exceeds -- or maybe just demonstrates & encompasses -- all this. I must piggyback it onto my Then Sings My Soul Saturday post. This beautiful song, written by George Beverly Shea, depicts it perfectly. What a blessing to hear him sing it here:

There's the wonder of sunset at evening,
The wonder as sunrise I see;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder that God loves me.

Refrain
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.

There's the wonder of springtime and harvest,
The sky, the stars, the sun;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is a wonder that's only begun.