Becoming a Nerd 101: Awe and Wonder

Having kids and being a nerd are fuel for some really fun and crazy events in our home.  Just this weekend I was able to watch Teen Titans with my kiddos and we get quite invested in the characters.  My daughter in particular was moved emotionally when Raven was feeling powerless and on her own in one of the episodes.  More than just intense entertainment that my kids connect with, it stirs into the hearts of  kids' imagination and sense of wonder.  Mark, my son, loves Spider-Man! For a time his adoration of the wall crawling hero encouraged his imagination to create his own version of Spidey and would lead to awesome chats about what super powers he wished he had.  The cool thing about those chats is that it shows me a heart that sees a world of possibilities; a world of awe and wonder.  I know as a kid, and maybe more recently than that, if I found a cardboard tube, I almost always transformed into a Jedi with a lightsaber ready to battle an evil Sith lord. A nerd's capacity for awe and wonder through their nerdom can be a very powerful thing and can be inspiring if tapped into properly.

Time and time again the Bible talks about how amazing God is and how we can be in awe of Him by just looking at creation. Seriously, just check out Psalm 8 and tell me that you are not blown away by the awesomeness of God. And that's not even imagination flaring, those are facts. When Jesus was doing ministry on earth, He would repeat the phrase "The Kingdom of God" giving a mental drive and declaration to His followers of something new and anticipation of something happening. An image of a changing world that offers hope and freedom; love and restoration! It stimulated their minds and hearts for ministry. Paul even used this sense of awe and wonder as a goal for himself and others to strive for in his last address (check out, 2 Timothy 4:7&8).

Do you feel like you have lost that sense of awe and wonder in your faith?  Dive into the following passages and really work out the images that are written out (Genesis 1, Job 38, Psalm 8, Psalm 121). How does it challenge you to look at God in wonder? How can you help share that image with those around you so they can see God in such an awe inspiring way?

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