Marvelous Things!
Can you think of the last time you were astonished? For me, it was the Saturday between Thanksgiving and Advent. You know, the day between Black Friday frenzy and Cyber Monday. I was happy to be home alone with just one grandchild who had spent the night with us.
At the moment, he was contentedly playing in the living room. I was contemplating getting out the tiny tea set I use for tea parties, the chipped one that helps us “drink tea and talk about the weather politely.”
The tea kettle was about ready to burst into a chorus of shrill urgency. I could hear it reaching the boiling point. As I walked down the hall, my steps became more urgent to stem the inevitable shrieking, if I failed to reach the stove in time.
At the exact same time, another sound hit my ears.
Our grandson, singing.
I stopped to marvel at the beautiful strains of a six-year-old voice, praising, while playing.
He was unaware of the needs of my heart this morning. He simply burst into song.
“I want to be a child of the light,
I want to follow Jesus…"
Tweet….TWWWEEEEEEEETTTT!!!
“God sent the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus…"
The kettle became louder, and I started to run toward the steam. Nothing and no one were going to drown out the sound of the impromptu concert, at least not if I could help it.
But the shrieking cacophony did drown out the marvelous melody, just like other urgencies of daily life seek to overshadow my songs to God:
… thoughts - sometimes dark and foreboding
… fears - often real to me, but invisible to others
… dreams - not of glorifying God, but of lifting myself up to some impossible standard
STOP, I said to the annoyance, JUST STOP!!!!
In a way, the command was aimed doubly at the offending noise going off in my kitchen and the intensity hollering in my head.
As I moved the kettle away from the heat, the rattle dissipated quickly, as did the noise of my thoughts.
Instantly, the faint song continued on, thanks to a small persevering boy who loves to sing. I breathed a sigh of relief. Chaos gone. Peace renewed.
“In him here is no darkness at all,
The day and the night are both alike,
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus…”
Yes, Lord! Shine the brightness of your light into our world! You are the star of my life! With you I can sing and not worry. Lord, you’ve done it all. I can relax and bask in the marvelous light of salvation – your incredible, amazing, unbelievable gift – your life to ransom this dark world of my sin. All sin.
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation.”
Immediately, I became astonished at how quickly God works! Within a few short moments, a small boy, a tea kettle and a heartfelt Jesus song had redirected my heart and renewed my soul. I was reminded of all the great gifts promised in the Word of God!
This blessing can be attributed only to the goodness of the Lord, who sees our struggles in life and responds. Despite our straying hearts, he daily brings marvelous things to light from the little things we take for granted.
If only we just stop the noise to hear the song.
“The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
May God work marvelous things in your hearts, too, during this holy season of joy in the baby Jesus!
