Wonderstruck: Week 2 Recap

Good Morning!

We’ve had an awesome week in the study, haven’t we?  I’ve loved studying the wonder of God’s presence and focusing in on the Who instead of the Why.

One of the key points in Day 1 centered on the impact grief plays on our spiritual life.  We looked at the 5 stages of grief and our own personal journeys through them.  Sometimes, we can find ourselves stuck in one of those stages unable to move forward.  During those moments in life, I think we can ask ourselves several questions.

• Am I going to focus on the Why in this situation or the Who?
• Will I allow God to minister, comfort, and help me to let go of my whys?
• Do I need to turn my attention back to God and trust Him to reveal His presence in a way that will leave me wonderstruck?

In Day 2, Margaret Feinberg gave us the opportunity to express our emotions to God by writing a lament about a particular situation in our life that needs an answer.  She reminded us that “by showing our true selves to God — questions, emotions, and all — we discover God’s love in greater measure.  God listens to our stinging words, embraces our frail hearts, and meets us where we are.”

The book of Job was our focus on Day 3.   Job’s faithfulness, despite his increasing and unending difficult circumstances, I find inspiring and encouraging.   For me, this particular book of the Bible has been a source of comfort when my life has unraveled.  I can relate to Job and his struggles.  He feels like an ‘everyman’.   Job continues seeking God and entreating Him to speak until finally, God answers.  And when He does, Job’s perspective and attitude are shifted into their proper position.

Job’s response, “You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” {42:3}

On Day 4, we discovered God as the great I Am.  The Aleph and Tav.  We answered questions concerning the times in our lives when the awareness of God’s presence affected our attitudes, perspectives and responses.  I thought of the moments He came near when I had fear and doubt and physical suffering.  I also thought of moments when I was overwhelmed with joy by the birth of my children, the beauty of nature or in a passage of scripture that seemed to be divinely highlighted just for me.

Our memory verse for this week encapsulated our lesson on Day 5.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  Psalm 19:1

We ended the week focused on the wonder of creation.  We studied several passages that pointed out that creation reveals the invisible qualities of God: His attributes and His character.

This week, we begin studying Week 3, the wonder of rest.   I’m so glad you’re a part of the Wonderstruck journey with me.  Keep hanging in there.  We’re almost halfway through our study!

Below are some questions to consider.  If you’d like to respond and discuss, please do so in the comment section, by email, or the Facebook page.

• How can I nurture more of the wonder of God’s creation in my life?
• What are some practical ways I can foster a greater awareness of God through creation?
• What stood out most to me about Job’s life and journey?
• What area in my life is God challenging me to shift from asking Why to asking Who?

Blessings,

Mimi