What is that Thing?

Have you ever wondered what a thing is?

My dad was under the car when he said, “Hand me that thing," and then pointed to a wrench. One day my son asked, “May I have one of those things?” pointing to a Popsicle.

From these two examples you would think that a thing was something someone knew what was but just didn’t want to waste the energy to think of the name.

On the other hand, when living in Lubbock, Texas, while opening the backyard shed I spotted a scary looking crawly creature. I said, “What is that thing?” I thought it was a scorpion that had lost it’s tail, except it looked much more vicious. I had never seen anything like it. It was a harmless Vinegarone. Have you ever said, “What is that thing?” when you didn’t know what it was?

Even in the 1982 re-make of the 1951 horror sci-fi movie, “The Thing”, there was an outer space creature that was so strange looking they didn’t know what to call it. It looked like nothing they had ever seen.

Have you ever thought about “things?” What are they… where do they come from… how long do they last… what is their composition? Are they docile or dangerous? Are they dumb or smart? Are they pretty or ugly?

There are thingamajigs… thingamabobs… thingies and thingumadoodads. There’s a “something” like in, “Ain’t that something.” Also, there is an “anything” like in “What was that noise?” “Oh, that wasn’t anything.”

“Thing” is defined as an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to. In other words, anytime you don’t know what something is or even if you do and are too busy to name it, then you have yourself a “thing.”

There is one thing I know… you never have to fear a thing because God causes all things to work together for our good. If that is not enough God says that we can speak to things even if we’re not certain what they are because since He is for us, who can be against us?

Have you ever felt that something was intruding into your life or circumstances without your permission? Listen to this, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, not angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28,31,37-39).

Hey, tell that thing where to go. Have a great week.