Timely Wanderings: What’s in a name?

This is part 2 of 3 articles talking about what Timely Wanderings is all about. For part 1 click here. For Part 3 click here.

Do you daydream? Have you ever felt your mind wandering? Have you ever zoned out of a situation only to see your thoughts drift to things completely unrelated? Have you ever dreamt?

If you have, you’ll know what this means.

Our minds are so incredibly complex that we can’t truly comprehend what really goes on up there and yet it all seems to just make sense, doesn’t it? You might be talking to someone and suddenly remember a long-forgotten thought that is all too relevant and important? Have you even been stuck thinking and eventually find clarity and coherence? You could chalk that up to chance or a mere coincidence but with God there are no coincidences, and there is no chance.

Think about this- you’re listening to a sermon and you’ve got something on your mind that no other soul knows. It’s not related to the subject of the sermon or even the happenings around you and yet suddenly you perk up! What was that you just heard? Something so relevant that it almost seems like the nudging of the Holy Spirit. But you tell yourself that it’s just your imagination. What if it isn’t? What if that really is the voice of the Holy Spirit in you?

When you have the right thought at the right time, that could very well be a still small voice speaking to you. But very often we tend not to dwell on these things and just go on like there’s nothing to it. But there really is.

While praying and thinking about a name, there seemed like an endless list of possibilities but a lot of them just seemed way too similar to things that already existed. One day when I was still praying and asking God for a name, I was on a bus and thinking about something totally unrelated, I realised that my mind had conveniently wandered off and I was thinking about something else that seemed like it was actually a lot more important for the time. That’s when it struck me. Wandering. Not aimless but purposeful and at the right time. Timely.

It’s the little things in life that can speak volumes about our great God! That’s where the name comes from- the little things in life. The little thoughts that seem insignificant and yet hold so much meaning. These little things might seem so mundane and insignificant but individually, and collectively they mean more…so much more that it is mind blowing. How very often God speaks to us in a still small voice! He uses the little things to talk to us and guide us along the path He has set for us.

These thoughts are often so relevant and timely even if they have come from the wanderings of the mind that can seem untameable. God uses these very same relevant and timely thoughts that come from the wanderings of the mind to speak so clearly to us. So, why don’t we let Him?

When we look at the world through the lens of His word, we begin to see it in a surprisingly new way.

A filmmaker might hear God speaking through a scene in a film. A designer might gleam valuable insights into God’s majesty through conceptualisation. A doctor treating patients might understand deeper truths about God’s healing love. An engineer might be awestruck by God’s sustaining power. A photographer might find glimpses of God’s beauty in God’s own creation. A lawyer might understand the reality of God’s law in ways most of us can’t; and so on…

The same old mundane things that seem insignificant can be seen as important, if we just allow God to speak to us through our everyday lives. God is real. God is here and He is speaking to each of us. We only need to listen.

Timely Wanderings alludes to the amazing ways in which God works and how seemingly insignificant sparks can light a fire in our hearts that cannot be put out, if we only surrender and let Him work His magic in us.

“If you give God the right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God’s experiments always succeed.” – Oswald Chambers

Created To Create

If it had to be condensed into one phrase, what would Timely Wanderings stand for? That’s what led to “Created To Create” becoming a tag line of sorts.

The Bible says that we have been created for God’s glory, to worship Him and keep His commandments, that is our duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Along with that, our Creator has also blessed us with the gift of creativity. This creativity isn’t just about the fine arts but is an underlying thread running through every aspect of our lives, even if it isn’t obvious.

Just look at creation itself and marvel at its grandeur and variety. Now look at your life and notice how unique it really is. Now look closer, look at each day, each moment in time. It is unique. That cannot come without creativity. God’s creativity.

When God has blessed us with such an incredible gift, it is only right that we use it to glorify Him. Isn’t that why we’re here – to proclaim Christ to all the world? How do we do that? We use our creativity and create. In essence, we were created to create.

How amazing it would be if the body of Christ banded together to use our God given gifts to create in various forms and modes!

We have been Created To Create!

For Part 1: A Direction Click here

For part 3: Beyond the Apparent. Click here