A Magic Deeper Still

My friend John is one of the best vacation planners in the world. When his family goes on a trip (usually to some place Disney-related), he has all the plans taken care of, and that includes backup plans and backup plans to the backup plans. So when things inevitably change, such as an attraction is closed or everyone is starving or someone has a headache, he pivots and leads his family in the way they should go. From what his family members tell me, they can completely trust him and are free to enjoy the trip, knowing that the leg-work is done and they are in good hands.

Even more trustworthy than John’s travel plans are God’s plans for our future. As we grow older and more self-reliant (or so we think), we often forget about putting our trust in God and enjoying the ride. Teen Zine vol. 5: Future Self begins by saying, “A little bit of ‘magical thinking’ can help us return to the truth of who we are” (p. 41). The two words sound contradictory—magic and truth—but in this context, magic refers to the wonder in God’s world and how it manifests in possibility when God is at work in our lives.

When I visited Disneyland as a child, (although I didn’t have my friend John to guide me) it was a magical experience. I remember looking up at the fireworks above the castle in awe at the enchanting sight, which filled me with hope for the possibilities of the future.

Teen Zine vol. 5: Future Self encourages us to hold on to this childlike wonder:

“Your childlike spirit holds your faith and trust in God. We mustn’t let that part of us slip away… for that is the place from which we can trust that God will shape our future” (p. 41).

History is full of examples of people trying to understand the future through “magic.” Many stories in the Bible include magicians trying to make sense of the world through their own interpretations, but time after time, God’s prophets and followers outshine human abilities: Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, Moses’s signs in Egypt that surpass what the magicians can conjure up, Daniel interpreting dreams for King Nebuchadnezzar, or Simon the sorcerer in the book of Acts who becomes a believer and is baptized after being “astonished by the great signs and miracles” performed by Philip. God’s power never ceases to amaze.

Now that is a “magic deeper still,” as Aslan would describe it in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It is with this type of awe and wonder that we can move forward through life, knowing the leg-work is done and we are in good hands.