wonder

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Wonder Is Something There Is No Short Supply Of

I guess we will never lose our wonder over things people invent. 

Wonder is something there is no short supply of

Yesterday I experienced what I think is a relatively new invention. 

I was on my way to our cottage, it was getting past dinner time and I was a little peckish. But I had a destination in mind and was willing to stave off the urge to steer my car towards one of the numerous fast food spots along the way. 

The last few times Lily and I have driven up to the cottage we have seen these big boxes with a picture of a pizza on it. Some of these boxes are tucked beside a restaurant or a store. Some of them are just by themselves. 

We’ve seen five or six of them on our travels this year.

I wondered what they were, so one time I pulled up to one of these boxes and discovered they are a pizza dispensing machine.

The crazy thing is that they don’t just dispense cold pizza. They offer hot, ready to eat, on the spot pizza as well. 

Well I tucked that thought back into my brain, knowing there would come a time when I was going to try it. 

Yesterday was the day. 

It may be just another gimmick but I was intrigued.

… I’m sure when they came out with the first pop or sofa dispensing machine people went “wow”. You just dropped your coins into a slot, pressed a button and – boom – the pop of your choice came out. 

We don’t even think about that now, but back when they first came out it would have been a wonder.

This trip up to the cottage I was by myself and was set on trying this pizza. 

How could this huge box spit out hot pizza and do it in three minutes? Come on!

I pulled in and there was a family just finishing a pizza. When they saw me heading for the machine the mom said, “It’s pretty good.” 

Back in the early nineties, we had a Chrysler New Yorker. It would talk to us. If the door wasn’t quite shut, a voice would say, “a door is ajar” … to which we would all reply in unison, “The door is not a jar; it’s a door!” 

One day when our son was about two or three, I was driving with him in our other car. He asked me very seriously, “Daddy, why doesn’t this car have a little man in it?”

I laughed and thought, “Boy, the wheels are really turning in Mike’s head over this one.” 

Well, to be honest, how do you get a pizza in three minutes out of a box that’s about 7 feet by 8 feet by 4 feet? 

The obvious answer is that there’s got to be a little man in it. I’m sure I’ve seen a little man selling frozen pizzas on TV before. 

Well, this box pumped out my pizza … Hawaiian, of course. And though I’m not a connoisseur of fine pizza, it was not horrible.

Chock one up for new inventions. 

Here’s the thing: There are time we are filled with wonder about what we see, hear or experience. If we took time to think, time to ponder, we would always be filled with wonder at mountains so high, grass so green, minds so creative, newborn babies so intricate and small. All that wonder should be directed to God who made everything. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has filled you with wonder recently? Leave your comments and questions below.

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I Had To Wonder If I Was Still Alive

The other day I had to pinch myself to see if I was still alive. That’s right, it was a scary moment for me.

A few weeks ago I had to renew my driver’s license. I filled out the paper work, got my picture taken and then waited for my new license to arrive in the mail.

Well, it arrived alright and when I looked at the picture on my new license, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that the picture of the guy on the license wasn’t dead!

That’s when I pinched myself.

My eyes were open in the picture but that was the only thing that made the picture look like there was possible life there.

I understand the aging process, but how do you go from looking like you were alive five years ago to dead now?

There were some other factors that came into play with the picture, the main factor being the quality of the photo.

I’ve stepped into one of those shopping mall photo booths before, and for a couple of bucks you get a string of pictures that are pretty poor in quality.

The thing is you are usually making funny faces so, first of all, you look like you are alive, and second, your face is lit up by the flash so that you can tell the blood is still flowing through your veins.

When I got my driver’s license, there was a flash that nearly blinded me but it didn’t brighten anything up. The fact that the license is grey in colour only accentuates the lifeless look of the picture.

The next time I have to get a new driver’s license I’m going to put on makeup. I don’t have bags under my eyes but apparently under certain conditions I do!

The worker who was serving me wasn’t a photographer – I realize that. She did warn me not to smile, but come on! When she looked at the picture on the screen, why didn’t she gasp and say, “We better take that one again, sir. You look like you’re dead.”

I think if I worked at it I could look a little cheery even without smiling. I just needed a second chance.

I’m the one who’s carrying around the picture of the dead guy in my wallet for the next five years. You would think they could turn the screen around and ask me if I was okay with that picture before it was printed and laminated on my card.

I hope I don’t get pulled over by the police because I might get arrested for driving with no vital signs!

I’m thinking maybe I should try to photoshop my driver’s license. Then I could add a smile and cover up the bags under my eyes.

Maybe all I need to do is add a twinkle in my eyes to show I’m still kicking.

Don’t give up on me.

Here’s the thing: There are many people who are walking around like they are alive but a picture of their souls would prove that they were really dead spiritually. When you physically die, it’s too late to change the condition of your soul. The great thing is that while you are still physically alive, trusting your life to Christ will change the condition of your soul and give it life – life that you will keep right through eternity.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is the condition of your soul? Leave your comments below.