A few years ago, as we were flying the long hours from Paris to Kenya, we noticed that the stewardesses efforts to make the trip more bearable.

As we flew from the Alps to the Mediterranean and then the Sahara Desert parallel to the Red Sea, the French flight attendant kept
bringing us stuff.  Every time she would put something new down in front of us, she would proclaim "Voila!" like she had just performed some magic trick.

If we asked for some milk for our coffee or some ice, the stewardess would give us some and announce, "Voila!"  It made us feel both special and a little ridiculous at the same time, like we should clap for her.

What is it about a voila! moment that feels special? It's a kind of conspiratorial discovery process. It's a time when what was previously foreign is revealed.

One of the great privileges of parenthood is to experience voila! moments with your children. Go to the zoo and show your child a panda and you feel like saying, "Voila!"

Science teachers probably feel that way. I can still remember the first time I looked under a microscope and saw all that was wriggling around on the slide. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Powell, probably said something like, "Voila!" to me.

I think God is that way with us. He has so much to show us in life if we'll ask him to. "Watch, if you'll trust me, I'll heal that sick girl." He says. Or, "Look at this, I can turn this crusty old man into a new creature who enjoys people."

We all get into boring ruts in our lives from time to time. Perhaps it's been years since we felt the thrill of discovery. As we approach a New Year, we need to discover the God who delights in voila! moments. He's got so much to show us.