The Danger of Ms. Frizzle

Who remembers this zany, red-headed, cartoon woman who taught children by flying them around on The Magic School Bus? I'm sure there's a few people out there who still remember her. (If you don't know this children's show from the '90s, go watch it on Netflix.)

I was discussing with my son about why sounds happen and I recalled an episode of where Ms. Frizzle taught them what happens when sound is created. It's a great episode. They all are. Anyway, I digress.

As I was half-watching, half eating my breakfast (Saturday morning cartoons anyone?) I had a striking realization that Ms. Frizzle was not safe. I think about it, she drives kids on "field trips" to various places in the world and shrinks them, transforms them, enlarges them, etc. In all of this, she allows them to be in dangerous situations. She never harms them, but they encounter many kinds of danger. (Why do you think Arnold says, "Please let this be a normal field trip!"?)

Why does she do this? More often than not, the dangers directly relate to the lesson that she is trying to help them learn. She guides them, she doesn't tell them. She gets them asking questions of their environment and/or situation. She is letting them learn and grow.

Our heavenly Father is much the same. Just like C. S. Lewis said in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,"'Safe?' said Mr Beaver ...'Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.'" He is not safe. We cannot control Him or even fathom Him fully. He literally holds the whole world together. (Colossians 1:16) He has the power to stop the ocean from going any farther than the beaches. (Job 38:11) He commands demons out of people. (Matthew 8:16) All of those are powerful things and yet the half has not been told.

Still, like Ms. Frizzle, no matter much danger He exposes us to or changing of ourselves may happen, He does no harm. He is a good God with a loving and gentle heart. He longs to see His children growing and becoming better. He guides us to learn lessons. He nudges us in the direction that has the answers. He begs us to ask questions to get know others, ourselves and mostly importantly Him.

We are in a broken, cold and dark world, which is not what He wants at all, by the way. He is patient and caring; unwilling for anyone to perish apart from Him. But until the whole world hears the gospel of Jesus Christ and He returns to reign, we endure this world. He works even the worst situations for our good and His glory. He can take the most devastating events and weave them into a beautiful tapestry. This doesn't mean He likes, wants or even creates the disasters or pain, but He does use it.

Take the story of Job for example, as I mentioned in my previous post. A man loses everything, but Job is so faithful to God that he is used as a example for generations to come. Job experienced danger, but not harm. And still he praised God.

Why am I saying all this? I think I'm on a journey myself to discover our great God and His purposes. And He is lovingly showing me Himself through various trials and circumstances. I wanted to encourage anyone who might be feeling that God is not for them. He totally is. He's cheering you on and walking with you akin to Ms. Frizzle teaching her students how a pie is baked...by being baked inside... (I loved that episode!)