NOTE: First posted on February 6, 2020
An expression of absolute amazement. Often used to verbalize an overwhelming pleasant feeling or realization. Also used to express shock of a seemingly unbelievable fact.
--Urban Dictionary
WOW is an interesting word. It is a word that, in my opinion, should be reserved for special or unusual moments.
Recently, I took my grandson Henry to school. He is not quite 2 so there are many things that WOW him! He loves to look out the window and take in the sights as we drive. He would call out, “bird…car…” and anything else that caught his attention. I guess he wasn’t convinced that I was paying attention because he started yelling “Popz” before he would announce what he just saw. In an attempt to support his exuberance, I yelled WOW every time he saw something interesting. He picked up on that and started saying, “Bird…WOW…Car…WOW!” We both laughed and enjoyed our time of experiencing some WOW moments.
I started thinking about the WOW moments of Scripture; Creation, the parting of the Red Sea, countless healings at the hands of Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Really, just too many to count! How can we read the accounts of God’s interaction with His creation and not be WOWED?
I’ve noticed lately that my criteria for a WOW moment has changed some. Politicians make statements that offend my belief system and I mutter under my breath…WOW. People vote for candidates who will expand healthcare benefits while simultaneously promoting killing unborn humans all the way up to birth. WOW. I recently observed support for the 2020 Super Bowl Half-time show because the music was good and the dancing skilled; never mind that it was inappropriate for families of young children. WOW.
Sometimes I feel irrelevant as I read and hear some of the comments from Believers that affirm ungodly attitudes and actions. I ask myself, “Am I too out of touch with reality to appreciate the new theology that has taken America by storm?”
As a pastor, am I able to frame Scripture in a way that the people can acknowledge as absolute truth?
It seems that life often gets in the way of God’s WOW moments. It’s possible to focus so much on earthly frustrations that we forget the promises of God. I want to work hard to restore my mind; I want my WOW thoughts to be centered on the things of God. I’m determined to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, so that His WOW’s will always be fresh in my mind!