”My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everyone you know. Everyone you see. Everyone you talk to.  He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement” (Patricia, a character from Joe Versus the Volcano).

Too many times I have sleepwaked through my life and been on autopilot. I have not really been awake or alive and have missed out, wondering why my life is so dull and why nothing ever seems to happen. God is calling me, along with the rest of His children to wake up to what He is doing in the world He made.

When we are awake, truly awake, we will be astonished and amazed on a daily basis. To borrow a favorite acronym from my church, our response will be one of W.O.W. as we are left With Out Words. We will see God in everything and see that everything really is a direct result of His power holding it all together and His grace keeping it from falling apart.

We need to be a people saturated in God and in His word. We need to be a people who are recognized for having been with Jesus. We need to be known as a people who live and love radically, whose lifestyle matches what comes from our lips. We need to be a people who have learned to see ourselves through the Word of God.

I heard a great definition of obedience. Obedience is when the Word that is implanted and dwelling in you comes out and manifests itself through acts of love, compassion, and kindness. Obedience shouldn’t be a have to done out of fear or duty, but a get to done out of joy and love. The fact that we get to be a part of the amazing work God is doing should amaze us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “There is no object so foul that intense light will not make beautiful.” Lord, let your light so shine on us that we are transformed into something beautiful that will leave those around us WithOut Words. Fill all of us with all of You until we can be You to the world and be the change that the world needs to see.

Amen and amen.