Recently my grandkids and I were very sick. Miserable, we decided to watch a movie.¹ It was about June and her mother who often imagined they were creating an amazing park in a world called Wonderland.

One day her mother became very sick and had to go away to see doctors who might could help her. She encouraged June to keep the light inside her shining bright. “You are the wonder in Wonderland.”

June promised to try, but dark clouds of fear and depression soon gathered. In time she no longer cared about the imaginary park. The wonder faded. But light remained, though she could not see it.

The world is filled with His wonder.

Wonder is a feeling of amazement and admiration caused by something or someone. It is also a person regarded as very good and having amazing, remarkable qualities or abilities.² The movie uses both. We have seen this before.

Three disciples, having seen Jesus transfigured in His glory, were filled with wonder. Later they came upon a crowd. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet Him.³

Can you see it? They saw Jesus and were filled with amazement and admiration for Him. They saw the Wonder of God and were overwhelmed with His wonder. And through Him, the world became their Wonderland.

You shine with the Wonder of God.

In the movie, June eventually faced the darkness created by fear and depression. Her battle cry was “I am the wonder in Wonderland.” And her weapon? The light that continued to shine within her.

We all understand what June was going through. The darkness of depression and loneliness. Not caring anymore. Giving up. But we also have a light that keeps shining, even when we can’t see it.

Jesus is the light of the world.⁴ Remember being overwhelmed by His wonder? That same wonder now lives within you.⁵ And when the darkness threatens your world, His light will shine in you. You can even shout, I am the wonder in Wonderland!

Will you? I wonder.

Ciloa Forever,

Chuck

 

Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa, an international ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement and teaching how to encourage one another. Also an author and speaker, Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. Learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org.

 

Footnotes: (1) Wonder Park, Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies, 2019. (2) See fuller definitions at Oxford Dictionary of English (3) Read Mark 9:2-15. (4) Read John 8:12 and Matthew 5:14. (5) Read Galatians 2:20.

Pictures: Banner: Earth Rising, image developed by NASA. (1) Don’t Be Afraid To Let His Light Shine, Image created by Hagee Ministries, JHM.org.