Rapid Fire Questions

I walked into the grocery store behind them.
A mother with three children by her side.
Wonderful signs of summer.

One little boy was so precocious.
He never stopped talking and asking questions.

Look at the blueberries. Why are strawberries red? Did you ever see such a big watermelon? I didn’t know bananas could be green. Can we get some cheese? Do you know what Danny said to me?

There was never a breath or a pause.
It was just rapid fire questions and comments.
It was wonderful!

His mother seemed used to it all.
She just let him talk.
I was waiting for her to answer him.
But he didn’t pause long enough to hear anything she might have said.

Children have such wonderment about them.
A joie de vivre…that cheerful enjoyment of life.
This little boy sure had it!

Children ask the best questions.
They are curious…they want to know.
It doesn’t matter the topic, they want to know more.

To a child, the world is full of constant wonder.

When do we lose that?
God’s splendor is all around us…and we yawn!

The rainbow that comes out of hiding as you mist your plants in the sunshine.
The water droplet that hangs on the edge of a leaf, stretching like silly putty before falling to the ground.
The humming bird that hovers over the red hibiscus, drinking the nectar for breakfast.

Splendor!
Are you awake?

All around us is incredible beauty…and we walk on by!

After hearing that little boy, I took notice.
Everyone I passed was looking down.
Looking down at their shopping list; looking down at their phones.

I never took notice of how many distractions keep us looking down!
What are we missing in this private world of downward gazing?
What if we took the time to look up?

God spoke with rapid fire questions to Job.
Job, whom God called blameless and upright; a man who fears God and shuns evil.
(Job 1:8)

Job wanted answers to his suffering.
The old equation didn’t make sense.
If he was righteous…then why was he suffering?
He wanted God to explain.

Job’s friends sat for days in compassionate silence.
When they finally opened their mouths, they theologized.
Nothing they said about God was correct; yet they continued to argue to make their point.

Job only sank lower into his private world of downward gazing.
Yet all the while, Job never let go of God.

Job wanted an answer to the age old question.
Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?

Job forgot how to look up.
God spoke to Job in his private storm.

Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?…Have you ever given orders to the morning, or showed the dawn its place…Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’ Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind?…Do you know where the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the the doe bears her fawn?…Do you give the horse its strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?…Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom…Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?…Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like His?…Everything under heaven belongs to Me. (Job 38: 2,3,4,12,35,36; Job 39: 1,19,26,27; Job 40:9)

Rapid fire questions from God.

Job finally looked UP!
When Job looked up, he had a different perspective.
The private world of downward gazing led to despair.
Looking UP, Job saw God, who seemed so far away while he was looking DOWN!

Then Job answered the Lord, “I am unworthy – how can I reply to You? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer – twice, but I will say no more…Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know…my ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You.”
(Job 40:4,5; Job 42:3,5)

Leave the private world of downward gazing.
Look up!

God is there.
He has been there all along.

Drink in the splendor that is all around you!
Don’t lose the wonderment!

The little boy had it right!
Questions…observations…breathless joie de vivre!
No yawning…just wide-eyed excitement with upward gazing!