Lightning in a Jar

My family (the Trevisans) have a family reunion every five years. Our next one is this summer (2019). Fifty plus of us will convene at Barothy Lodge in Walhalla, MI to enjoy and celebrate us.

Last year sometime, Cindy came across a children’s book called “When Lightning Comes in a Jar” about a family reunion that gathers in Michigan, no less. The book so inspired her that she bought copies to give to each of our families with reading-age children.

One of the featured pictures is Cindy sharing the book with our niece Sarah’s family - Matthew, Maria, Julia and husband, Patrick.

Sarah just sent a beautiful note to Cindy.  “Our prayers for your complete and total healing are with you daily! … as we know it is difficult to stand by during such an ordeal, I think it’s settled - Trevisan Reunion 2019 is the perfect health goal! You must be there, vibrant and healthy to enjoy all the shenanigans!”

Dear, Sarah.  We CAN imagine that!  And while we’re at it, let’s also imagine capturing lightning in a jar!

Did you know that God encourages us to imagine when we go to him in prayer? Check out how St. Paul puts it in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3.  The entire chapter is profound and intense but let me take you to his prayer at the end of the chapter. (verses 14-21, NIV)

Power opening: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (vs 17b-18)

How full is all the fullness of God?  Pretty darn full, not to mention very, very wide, long, high and deep. As in very, very, very - so much that it surpasses our knowledge!  (How many verys are needed here?)

I really want to key on verse 20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

So here is God inviting us to go ahead and ask in prayer for anything from him and to also imagine what receiving what we ask might be like.

Like lightning in a jar. Like being healthy enough to attend the family reunion in a few short months, healthy enough to enjoy all the shenanigans!

God says, “Imagine this while you are in the depths of this cancer.  As you lift that to me in prayer, try to grasp that I intend to grant you immeasurably more than you are able to ask and imagine.”

I think he encourages us to imagine because even though what he is doing in our lives is often beyond our ability to grasp (v19), when we go ahead and imagine, we think beyond the limits imposed by what we think is feasible.  Then, I believe he helps us see that what he has done is linked to what we imagined so that we can give the credit where it is due - to Him. Hence verse 21 that leads with, “to him be the glory.”

So when Cindy is at Family Reunion 2019 this summer and running about with her all beloved nieces and nephews enjoying shenanigans like trying to capture lightning in jars, we will remember that we prayed for this, that we imagined what it would be like. 

And yes, we will give God the glory for every bit of it.