Marisa Iglesias

February 2016
Comm 494
Dr. Cooper
Living in Constant Wonder
Every time a major life decision comes up, I am always filled with excitement at
the prospect of the change ahead. Though I understand the challenge of change, I think it
odd that most people are afraid when confronted with something completely new. To me,
change is an opportunity to expand my horizons, explore new frontiers, grow as an
individual, embark on an adventure, embrace my independence, and the list goes on.
However, most importantly, it is an opportunity for me to put all of my trust in an
abundantly faithful God. College has been four years of me learning how to rely on the
Lord, and although my college years are coming to a close, my dependence on God never
will. If anything, these four years have served to get me acquainted with change and
through that, prepare me to seek His steadiness in the midst of inconsistency. Therefore,
moving forward into life post Wheaton, my personal credo is to commit to fearlessly
facing every change, big and small, with the reassurance that the Lords providence will
serve to strengthen, embolden, and refine me into His liking.
Whether it is amidst chaos or on the brink of it, there is a theme throughout the
Bible of God reminding His people of His sovereignty. Despite our circumstances, the
Lord remains our Sustainer and Keeper. When we do not know what to do or where to go
next, He who formed us into being is there to lead us toward that next step:
This is what the Lords saysyour Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord you God,

who teaches you what is best for you,

who directs you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48:17).
The Lord promises that He is always there to direct us and we are to take that to heart.
My roommates and I are a part of a nearly decade-long tradition called The
Breakfast Club. One Sunday each month, we invite a member of Wheatons staff or
faculty over to have brunch with us. It is a time to get to know them, glean from their
wisdom, and partake in fellowship (and pancakes) with them. Just two weeks ago we had
Dr. and Mrs. Ryken over. It was a lovely affair with many a wise word exchanged yet the
morsel of advice that has since stuck with me is Dr. Rykens response to transition:
You dont have to know how the story ends, you just have to know the next
faithful step to take. You dont have to worry about God providing, because He
promised that.
With a little over two months of college left, the senior panic is already in full swing,
therefore it was encouraging to hear words that were not just comforting, but grounded in
truth. God has promised not to forsake us in a time of change and uncertainty, but to lead
us to wherever and whatever He has planned for us next. If we but trust and obey Him,
this period of transition will be a time to lean in and partake in Gods providence. As C.S.
Lewis says in his book, Mere Christianity:
To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no
sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you
have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to
obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way (Lewis 147).

Instead of change simply being a transition, it becomes a refinement. When

approached with change in our lives we have two choices. One, we can stress, worry and
flounder about for control. We can try everything in our power to bring things back
within our comfort zone. Yet this serves to negate the good that change can offer. By
struggling on our own, we are neglecting both our need for God and His will for us. As
explained by Oswald Chambers in the devotional My Utmost for His Highest, Worrying
always results in sin Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our
Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish
His own plans but to fulfill Gods plans (Chambers 7/4). The second choice, we can
recognize that we have no control, and allow ourselves to grow by wholeheartedly
trusting in God.
You dont know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God
knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if
you are willing to go out in every area of you life, trusting in God entirely. It is
this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you dont know what God
is going to do next (Chambers 1/2).
It is by releasing our need for control and realizing our need for a God who is in control
that we can maximize the opportunity that change can be. Furthermore, this allows us to
remain in constant wonder, a state of being where God is able to utilize our openness
for His good. When we are unguarded toward the future and willing to trust God
throughout the ebb and flow, we are living a life pleasing to God. Let the attitude of
your life be a continual willingness to go out in dependence upon God, and our life will

have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus (Chambers
2). The Lord takes delight in our dependence on Him. How else can we live a meaningful
life if we are relying on our own understanding? When we trust God in all realms of our
life: family, work, relationships, friendships, health, etc. we can expect the inner stability
and strength that comes from Him, even if everything else goes awry. Relationships are
always in flux; the only certainty is certain change (Griffin 138). As told discussed in the
communication theory, Relational Dialectics, the only thing we can anticipate is that our
relationships, and lives, will undergo change. Therefore, consistently practicing how to
depend on God, even during seasons of comfort, prepares our hearts for a life lived in
constant wonder of what He will lead us to next.
While Relational Dialectics speaks of the assumption that life contains continuous
change, it also reveals our desire for it, We seek the bit of mystery, the touch of
spontaneity, the occasionally surprise that is necessary for having fun (Griffin 141).
While change can easily be seen as a challenge, it is also an adventure. I seek to live my
life in fearless pursuit of the adventures God has placed in my path. In the classic book
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins is initially afraid and a bit disgruntled at the
prospect of going on an adventure. However, even he cannot deny the wishful thought of
going out into the unknown,
Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the
great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves,
and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick. He looked out of the window. The
stars were out in a dark sky above the trees. He thought of the jewels of the
dwarves shining in dark caverns. Suddenly in the wood beyond The Water a flame

leapt up- probably somebody lighting a wood-fire- and he thought of plundering

dragons settling on his quiet Hill and kindling it all to flames. He shuddered; and
very quickly he was plain Mr. Baggins of Bag-End, Under-Hill, again (Tolkien
16).
I would like to think that many of us are quite similar to Bilbo. We may have dreams of
going on a quest, yet lack the courage to venture out. Yet we as Christians have nothing to
be afraid of. Whether it is fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of loneliness, fear of
hardship, etc. God is utterly sufficient. We are not called to walk through life on
eggshells, afraid at every corner we come to, but instead to walk boldly in the light of
Him who we are following. And more often than not that means following Him on a
journey that will take us out of our comfort zone. No matter where we are led, He is with
us. It is a promise that we should hold tightly to because He is holding us tightly in His
hands.
Coming into college was a change that I expected. I knew I was in for something I
had never experienced. Going from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles was only the
slightest of the changes I knew I would face. Having the opportunity to row Division 1 at
a PAC 12 school was both thrilling and paralyzing. While I knew it would be the hardest
thing I had ever done, I could not shake off the thought that God had brought this golden
opportunity to me for a reason, and to reject it was to reject Him. So, casting off the
doubts I had, I committed to making the most of UCLA. Similarly, when I transferred to
Wheaton at the beginning of my junior year, I remembered His faithfulness in my life up
until then and that cast out all fear of the future. And now, as I prepare for the transition
into post-Wheaton life, I am still reminded of His provision in my life and how He has

grown me into who I am today. I began college a terrified freshman, scared of the
challenges that lay ahead, and am now on the cusp of entering adulthood, and can look
into the face of it with confidence. Confidence that though I am weak, He is strong, and
while I do not know what is next, He knows all things. Because of the promise stated in
His Word and the faithfulness displayed in my life, I will approach the next adventure,
and every adventure, with complete trust and with a heavenly wonder for what He has in
store.

Work Cited
Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest: The Classic, Best-loved Treasury of
Devotional Readings. S.l.: Nova Pub., 1991. Print.
Griffin, Emory A. A First Look at Communication Theory. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2015. Print.
Isaiah. Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.
Print.
Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. New York: MacMillan Pub., 1952. Print.
Tolkien, J. R. R., Chuck Dixon, and Sean Deming. The Hobbit. New York: Ballantine,
2001. Print.