The Writing on the Wall: How Big is God?

Thursday, July 28, 2016

How Big is God?

I have been pouring through all the volumes of school work I saved from the 25 years of homeschooling my three children. Many made me chuckle, like the photo above I found in Asherel's file of mementos. We share a love of all creatures, and they seem to love us too!

The picture made me laugh, as did some of the school work assignments. When she was in junior high, I gave Asherel an assignment to write an essay entitled: How Big is God. I have forgotten so much, but after seeing her essay, I remembered.

After giving the essay prompt, I left the room, and was pleased that she was writing diligently each time I peeked in at her. After the half hour time limit I had given her, I returned.

"Are you done?" I asked.
She nodded, grinning as she handed me her essay.

This picture below is what she had written. The front and back of the paper were filled with the same word.

Asherel did not love writing assignments, and being very intelligent and clever, often found amusing ways to wiggle out of them. However, I have to admit, this was perfect.

The thing is, she needed more than a half hour of 'big' to begin to express the true bigness of God. If we close our eyes, and try to imagine how big God is, or how just, how merciful, how mighty, how loving, etc....we can't. No matter what we picture, it is too small. Our finite minds cannot possibly wrap themselves around the concept of God's infinite Being.

God is limitless, but I think we limit Him with our feeble understanding and faith. One of my favorite illustration of this in the Bible is 2 Kings 4: 1-7.

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

²Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
³Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. ⁴Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
⁵She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
⁷She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

If the widow had continued to collect jars, would the oil have continued to flow? Every indication is that it would have. I think we are in the habit of metaphorically not collecting enough jars for God to fill.

I need to remember this. My understanding of the vastness of God may contribute to the amount of work He does through me and the blessings that ensue.

At 5 a.m. this morning, I received a text from a women who had considered abortion till I met her several months ago on the sidewalk of the southeast's busiest abortion center. This is what the text said: Hey, how are you? I don't know if it's too early to text you but I couldn't wait to share the news. I'm currently at the hospital being induced. So far I'm at 5 cm dilated!

For the record, 5 a.m. is too early to text, folks, EXCEPT in this situation. So many of the mamas I work with walk into that abortion center saying no one can change their mind. My God can. He is big enough.

So this is my new mantra for this week: Go around and ask for jars....Don't ask for just a few!
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