My husband, daughter and I were out running errands yesterday. After grocery shopping for the upcoming festivities, we headed home. We were each tired from the crowds, the task, and the journey.

Suddenly, there was a loud pop. We were all startled by this sound. I pulled the car over to the side of highway and Mason jumped out to see what could possibly be wrong.

I sat in the driver’s seat and wondered what could have caused the sound, but didn’t come up with any real possibilities.

Candace was digging through the bags and finally came up with the culprit. A can of biscuits had indeed exploded.

Just as Mason motioned for me to pop the hood, I was able to tell him where the sound originated. Indeed it was not my car, but a can of biscuits!

Here in the high altitude of Colorado, it is not uncommon for items to burst open. Bags of potato chips have been known to pop on grocery store shelves (cans of Pringles really “pop” when they are opened here).

But when it is unexpected, a sound like this can cause some alarm. We were surprised. We were curious. We were confused. We felt uncertain.

I am thankful for the two passengers in my car. They sprang into action and within minutes had the solution. I wasn’t very useful in this situation.

I was reminded this week of the account in the Book of Acts where a young man fell from a third story window (Acts 20:7-12). The town was Troas. The preacher was Paul. The speech was long. The lamps were many. The young man was Eutychus.

“Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.” (Acts 20:9 – NIV)

There have been many jokes at Eutychus’ expense about this situation through the years, but I’m sure the crowd was completely surprised and were in disbelief as the scene played out before them. They probably felt some of the same things we felt yesterday. Curious, confused, and uncertain.

Eutychus was dead. Those around him could verify the fact. Suddenly, Paul was beside the young man. Actually, Scripture says that Paul “threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him.” (Acts 20:10a – NIV) Then Paul pronounced to the crowd, “Don’t be alarmed. He’s alive!” (Acts 20:10b – NIV)

I’m sure Eutychus was not the only person near sleep by this point. It was midnight and Paul was still preaching. But this incident woke the crowd and rejuvenated their interest in the words spoken by Paul.

It’s a good thing too, because after this miraculous raising of the dead, Paul went back upstairs, shared The Lord’s Supper with the group, and continued preaching until daylight.

When it was all over, Acts 20:12 (NIV) tells us, “The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”

What an experience this crowd had witnessed. The outcome was positive. The group was comforted by Paul’s words and actions. And this young man had great reason to rejoice.

The bursting biscuit can was a wake-up call for us. As the driver, I wasn’t as alert as I should have been. We each were suddenly wide awake and laughing as we continued home.

I believe we can all use a wake-up call when it comes to our spiritual journey. We wind up living mediocre lives without any real spiritual excitement. Why would we want to do so when there is so much in God’s realm that should thrill us?

I’d like to suggest that as the New Year approaches we make great strides to work on this area of our lives. Let’s not take our spiritual journey for granted. Let’s be more aware of all the wonder God is placing before us daily. Let’s be spiritually awake to hear and see all that God is sharing with us.

Are you with me on this one?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna