We’d been splashing in our pool much of the morning–it was already 84 by 10 a.m. It has been a great summer to own a pool; spending so much time in the pool has also led to the purchase of new diving rings, many swimsuits for the girls, and of course a few new floaty toys, which means on any given day our shallow end is full of diving rings and a 5 foot long inflatable shark & dolphin.

I held Beckett while he “swam” to over the dolphin, he pointed and it and said, mow-min (dolphin), then he pointed at it’s flipper and clearly said, hand. I giggled a little at the way a two-year old sees the world.  He doesn’t know the name for a flipper, and doesn’t understand that not every living creature has the body parts he so loves to point out and name on himself.

Second later, I knew my splashing toddler had revealed a deep truth.  It is in our nature to try to fit the unknown into what we know.  When Mark and I teach friends a new board game, we reference games they already know–creating a context for them (yes, we are board game geeks). When Beckett sees the paws of my parents’ Beagle, he calls them feet or toes, not paws–that’s the context He has.  When we consider and teach about God, how often do we try to fit Him into the context of reality as we can perceive it?  How often do we compare His almighty, creating, healing, world-holding hand to our own–frail & powerless without His strength.

I wonder if rather than acting as if I was made in God’s image, I behave as though He must somehow fit into what I understand–He must fit into human terms and time constraints.

How marvelous when I turn things around–when rather than robbing the dolphin of it’s unique features, I acknowledge it is different than I am.  It doesn’t fit into the context of human biology as it is an entirely different creature.  What kind of bold faith might I walk in each day if I don’t rob God of His omnipotence by comparing His mind to mine, His plans to mine, His heart to my own?

We were made in God’s image.  He is, was, and always will be–He doesn’t fit in our boxes. Let us worship this awe-inspiring God and teach our children to name & recognize the many qualities of God while not limiting Him to only what we can see and understand.

Remind yourself daily:

1) God is not like us, we are made to be like Him.

2) His thoughts are higher (so so so much higher) than our own

3) Us trying to fit God’s ways into our human understanding is as ridiculous as calling a dolphin’s flipper a hand. Let Him BE God.