” ‘The secret to love — and a sense of joy and gratitude toward all of life,’ said M. J. Ryan, ‘is to see, feel, and hear as if for the first time.’ . . . Is it possible that the scales of the habitual have clouded your vision? There is a very fine line between taking things for gratitude and taking things for granted. Once we cross the line, a million little miracles are lost on us.”- Mark Batterson
“The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living. What we lack is not a will to believe but a will to wonder.”- Abraham Heschel
Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 2 of A Million Little Miracles as he notes that it’s easy to learn how and forget why. Hence, he exhorts, that’s when we need to reverse engineer our reason for being.
God calls us to serve as caretakers of His green earth. In Hebrew, the word kabash means to subdue. To bring something under control previously out of control. Thus, Mark states, kabash is:
- beauty for ashes.
- nurturing nature.
- innovating and rejuvenating.
- curating and cultivating.
Consequently, Pastor Batterson encourages, God calls you to kabash. As a result, when he writes a book, Mark removes his shoes. Because he finds himself on holy ground. Therefore, Mark doesn’t just type with his keyboard. Instead, he worships God with the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. Then, taking every thought captive, he kabashes those thoughts into a book.
In conclusion, Mark counsels, we see the world as we are. Rather than seeing the world as it is. That’s why, as Abraham Heschel contends, we need to:
“Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. . . . To be spiritual is to be amazed.”
So, Pastor Batterson queries, how much are you enjoying God? Because, he contends, your answer serves as a pretty good measure of your spiritual maturity. As the first tenet of the Westminster Catechism states: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
Today’s question: What scales of the habitual cloud your vision? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Theologize, not politicize”