In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," the main character George Bailey is on the verge of committing suicide. He has given up hope. He feels lost and alone and as if he has failed at each of his endeavors. How often do we feel the same way?
In the movie, George is given the gift of seeing how life would be without him. He gets to see the profound impact he has on the people in his community and on the people he loves. There stands a very good chance that God will not give us the chance to have the same experience, and yet how many of us have felt as lost and abandoned as George? To feel so awful and terrible inside to just want to give up is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. And yet so many people in this world do feel that way. Where is there relief? When do they get to look on how much worse this world would be without them? Your answer is as good as mine. I do however know the one that comforts and who gives meaning, and who "wipes away every tear from our eyes," and that is Christ the Lord. It is truly better to know Christ and His mercy than to receive one thousand visions about how things would be, because in the end that can only do so much for you. In the end, knowing the impact you have truly isn't enough. Knowing you are loved by God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, that is the true comfort. That is grace.
God is with each and every one of us. Even when we don't think or more importantly feel it. He is always there, in us from our baptism, until the day we leave this earth. Also importantly, he gives us other humans. God created Eve so that Adam would not be alone, and on the flipside of that, since Adam was there, Eve was not alone either. Humankind is meant to be here for each other comforting each other at all times. Just as George Bailey's community came together to support him, so too should all of us come together to support each other. We don't always see what is going on inside of other people, ones who seem to be fine may be truly hurting. Don't be afraid to tell other people that you love them! Don't be afraid to say what they mean to you. And don't give up, don't ever give up. Its the American spirit, its what dying coach Jim Valvano spoke about, its what Josh Groban sings about, its what we are supposed to do all our lives: Don't give up. God will get us through it all, and he will put us where we need to be in life and surround us with those we need to be surrounded by. Praise God for this.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Love
“…but the greatest of these is love.�?
What is love? Love hurts. What’s love got to do with it? I’d love you to love me. Do you believe in life after love? When I think about you, I think about love. All you need is love, love, love, love is all you need. Love, is all that I can give to you; love is more than just a game for two. Love, is all that I need, and I found it there in your heart. Let my love open the door to your heart. I wanna keep on lovin’ you, cause it’s the only thing I wanna do. “L�? is for the way you look at me. Shot through the heart and your to blame, you give love a bad name. Take my hand; take my whole life too, for I can’t help falling in love with you. You’re a heartbreaker, dream maker, love taker don’t you mess around with me. Come on people now, smile on your brother, come and love one another right now. In the name of love, one man in the name of love. I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love. Jesus loves me this I know!
All of these songs are about that crazy emotion called love. Some are happy, some sad, some angry, some funny, and many of them very much true. Love can heal and bring joy. Love can destroy and lay bare. Love takes each of us as we are and ignores our shortcomings. Love always forgives and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is a bond that cannot be broken, and an explosion that cannot be contained. True love bursts forth violently from our souls for it cannot be contained inside our earthly vessels. Love knows no limits or boundaries. The more we give the less empty we become. Love may return with no consequence, but it never leaves without a price. At other time love is returned richly and freely to the great blessing of all. Still other times after love is given, no answer is given at all.
All then becomes still as a quiet winter morning in the mountains. Nothing can be seen or heard. Sometimes the lover must wait years to know avail. The weak and unfortunate grow weary and depart, but those fools that remain dedicated to true love persevere against all odds. In the rare cases, if the lover is blessed, he may hear the slightest of noises. Reaching out with every sense available, the lover can hear the low cracks and pops in the distance. He can taste the crisp Colorado air, and feel the cool breeze on his face and through his hair. He can smell the sweet pine trees all around him. If observant, the lover may peer deep into the distance at the slowly growing images he sees. The soft popping becomes a quickly magnifying rumble. All of a sudden the far off images are not so far off. Before the lover knows what is happening, he is surrounded with the deafening roar of tumbling rock and snow. His sight is filled with nothing but the catastrophic force headed his way. Before he can act, the lover is swept away in one fell swoop, and devoured never to be seen again. Witnesses will forever recall the last time they same him, with a broad grin across his face, and a light in his eyes that few have ever seen before.
What is love? Love hurts. What’s love got to do with it? I’d love you to love me. Do you believe in life after love? When I think about you, I think about love. All you need is love, love, love, love is all you need. Love, is all that I can give to you; love is more than just a game for two. Love, is all that I need, and I found it there in your heart. Let my love open the door to your heart. I wanna keep on lovin’ you, cause it’s the only thing I wanna do. “L�? is for the way you look at me. Shot through the heart and your to blame, you give love a bad name. Take my hand; take my whole life too, for I can’t help falling in love with you. You’re a heartbreaker, dream maker, love taker don’t you mess around with me. Come on people now, smile on your brother, come and love one another right now. In the name of love, one man in the name of love. I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love. Jesus loves me this I know!
All of these songs are about that crazy emotion called love. Some are happy, some sad, some angry, some funny, and many of them very much true. Love can heal and bring joy. Love can destroy and lay bare. Love takes each of us as we are and ignores our shortcomings. Love always forgives and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is a bond that cannot be broken, and an explosion that cannot be contained. True love bursts forth violently from our souls for it cannot be contained inside our earthly vessels. Love knows no limits or boundaries. The more we give the less empty we become. Love may return with no consequence, but it never leaves without a price. At other time love is returned richly and freely to the great blessing of all. Still other times after love is given, no answer is given at all.
All then becomes still as a quiet winter morning in the mountains. Nothing can be seen or heard. Sometimes the lover must wait years to know avail. The weak and unfortunate grow weary and depart, but those fools that remain dedicated to true love persevere against all odds. In the rare cases, if the lover is blessed, he may hear the slightest of noises. Reaching out with every sense available, the lover can hear the low cracks and pops in the distance. He can taste the crisp Colorado air, and feel the cool breeze on his face and through his hair. He can smell the sweet pine trees all around him. If observant, the lover may peer deep into the distance at the slowly growing images he sees. The soft popping becomes a quickly magnifying rumble. All of a sudden the far off images are not so far off. Before the lover knows what is happening, he is surrounded with the deafening roar of tumbling rock and snow. His sight is filled with nothing but the catastrophic force headed his way. Before he can act, the lover is swept away in one fell swoop, and devoured never to be seen again. Witnesses will forever recall the last time they same him, with a broad grin across his face, and a light in his eyes that few have ever seen before.
Life Lessons from Charlie Brown
Good ole Charlie Brown. You have to love that kid. For some reason I find that I can relate very well to Charlie Brown. The way Charles Schulz creates the character of Charlie Brown creates the depth of the character of Charlie Brown, it would be difficult to include all of it in less than a 2,000 page novel. Right now I would like to look at just one aspect of his character, and that is his endless quest to kick the football while Lucy Van Pelt holds it. Time after time, Lucy quickly removes the ball, and Charlie Brown falls flat on his back, not to mention the emotional damage he receives. What is it that keeps Charlie Brown coming back time and time again? Trust
It is trust that we too must learn. Charlie Brown was left on his back time and time again, and many times in life we find ourselves “on our backs�? emotionally. None the less, we must learn to trust people, knowing that because they are human, they may let us down. More importantly, we must learn to trust God knowing that because he is God he will never let us down.
I can remember many instances in my life that I placed my trust in someone, and my heart was broken. In relationships, we must trust others with our emotions and feelings. The other person will of course never be perfect, but sometimes they can be particularly (though unintentionally) hurtful. I have experienced this myself several times, but am learning that just as a tackled football player must get back up and dust himself off and back into the game, so to must I get back up and into “the game.�? If we don’t, “the game�? will simply pass us by.
As tumultuous and changing as our trust can be in others, I have never been let down when I placed my trust in God, but have always been better off for it. In fact, the times that have been the hardest in my life have been when I did not trust in God. The Israelites always experienced the most hardship when their trust wavered from God. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that “blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.�? (Jer 17:7) The prophet Isaiah continues, that those who hope (or trust) in the Lord “will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grown weary, they will walk and not be faint.�? (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know about you, but it is my greatest desire in life to soar.
It is trust that we too must learn. Charlie Brown was left on his back time and time again, and many times in life we find ourselves “on our backs�? emotionally. None the less, we must learn to trust people, knowing that because they are human, they may let us down. More importantly, we must learn to trust God knowing that because he is God he will never let us down.
I can remember many instances in my life that I placed my trust in someone, and my heart was broken. In relationships, we must trust others with our emotions and feelings. The other person will of course never be perfect, but sometimes they can be particularly (though unintentionally) hurtful. I have experienced this myself several times, but am learning that just as a tackled football player must get back up and dust himself off and back into the game, so to must I get back up and into “the game.�? If we don’t, “the game�? will simply pass us by.
As tumultuous and changing as our trust can be in others, I have never been let down when I placed my trust in God, but have always been better off for it. In fact, the times that have been the hardest in my life have been when I did not trust in God. The Israelites always experienced the most hardship when their trust wavered from God. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that “blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.�? (Jer 17:7) The prophet Isaiah continues, that those who hope (or trust) in the Lord “will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grown weary, they will walk and not be faint.�? (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know about you, but it is my greatest desire in life to soar.
Life Lessons from Forrest Gump
Tonight I was suprised by several of my peers at my house. I won't go through the details now, but I will say that we did end up watching Forrest Gump. First off I would like to say that Forrest Gump is an amazing and very emotionally stirring movie. Next I would like to look at some of the themes from the movie itself.
In the movie, Forrest is the "good guy." Forrest was always there for Jenny. He always supported her and defended her. She in turn was the first to reach out and be nice to Forrest. As Jenny began to grow up, she began to let her life go down the tube. She began to draw away from Forrest, and got invloved in many terrible things and almost commited suicide. In the end she died because of her unwise decisions and because of the downhill road she had placed herself. Forrest however, remained stedfast throughout. Forrest always helped her when she needed him, and he always helped her even when she didn't know she needed him. Forrest was not a smart man, but he knew "what love is." According to the Apostle Paul, love is the most important thing, and love was exactly what Forrest always offered her, because he had nothing else. Forrest could not necessarily offer fame, glamour, or excitement; just pure unconditional love. Even when Forrest got rich, he knew it was not his money that Jenny needed, but his love.
As a human who has had his shares of emotional highs and lows, I find that I can relate to Forrest very well. I'm sure many of us can. I have definitly had my share of girl troubles. Sometimes they are just hard to understand, and I'm sure that Forrest felt the same way about Jenny. At one point Forrest says "I would like to be your boyfriend," in that most innocent way that only Forrest could say. In my mind, Forrest is saying not that he wants to date her, but that he is willing to defend and protect her, and love her when no one else will. What did Jenny do, she denied him and went off to continue her life of sex and drugs.Forrest was left to play the waiting game as he did so much of his life. I know how Forrest feels.
At the same time that I am comforted by finding common ground with Forrest, I am scarred when I find common ground with Jenny. No I have never drank or smoked, or had sex, but when I force myself to look deep inside, I see blackness. I see the same corruption that drove Jenny to the life she lived. Some may say that it is hard to relate to such opposites as Forrest and Jenny, but I do. I am both sinner and saint. I am blackened with sin, but sanctified by Christ.
Another relation that I make, is that of Forrest to Christ Jesus. I am in no way saying that they have the same intelligence level, or that Forrest was perfect, but they both had similar servant attitudes. Jenny could also be compared to mankind. Christ supports each and everyone of us just as Forrest was always there for Jenny. Mankind and Jenny constantly left Christ and Forrest, and went off there own way, only to find that there own way led to pain, death, and darkness (Jenny tried to commit suicide). When Jenny finally decides to come back, Forrest was not angry, but overjoyed. So to is Christ, when we by His power come back to Him. Forrest spent every hour of the rest of his life serving Jenny and comforting her as she slowly died. So to Christ comforts us and cares for us when we feel we are "dying." In the end, we know that through Christ we will not die, but live eternally with Him in heaven.
Tonight a very great friend of mine presented me with a card that contained the Bible verse "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (Deut 31:6).
Forrest supported Jenny, but that was just a movie. Christ supports us and will never fail us, and that is truth.
"We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."
In the movie, Forrest is the "good guy." Forrest was always there for Jenny. He always supported her and defended her. She in turn was the first to reach out and be nice to Forrest. As Jenny began to grow up, she began to let her life go down the tube. She began to draw away from Forrest, and got invloved in many terrible things and almost commited suicide. In the end she died because of her unwise decisions and because of the downhill road she had placed herself. Forrest however, remained stedfast throughout. Forrest always helped her when she needed him, and he always helped her even when she didn't know she needed him. Forrest was not a smart man, but he knew "what love is." According to the Apostle Paul, love is the most important thing, and love was exactly what Forrest always offered her, because he had nothing else. Forrest could not necessarily offer fame, glamour, or excitement; just pure unconditional love. Even when Forrest got rich, he knew it was not his money that Jenny needed, but his love.
As a human who has had his shares of emotional highs and lows, I find that I can relate to Forrest very well. I'm sure many of us can. I have definitly had my share of girl troubles. Sometimes they are just hard to understand, and I'm sure that Forrest felt the same way about Jenny. At one point Forrest says "I would like to be your boyfriend," in that most innocent way that only Forrest could say. In my mind, Forrest is saying not that he wants to date her, but that he is willing to defend and protect her, and love her when no one else will. What did Jenny do, she denied him and went off to continue her life of sex and drugs.Forrest was left to play the waiting game as he did so much of his life. I know how Forrest feels.
At the same time that I am comforted by finding common ground with Forrest, I am scarred when I find common ground with Jenny. No I have never drank or smoked, or had sex, but when I force myself to look deep inside, I see blackness. I see the same corruption that drove Jenny to the life she lived. Some may say that it is hard to relate to such opposites as Forrest and Jenny, but I do. I am both sinner and saint. I am blackened with sin, but sanctified by Christ.
Another relation that I make, is that of Forrest to Christ Jesus. I am in no way saying that they have the same intelligence level, or that Forrest was perfect, but they both had similar servant attitudes. Jenny could also be compared to mankind. Christ supports each and everyone of us just as Forrest was always there for Jenny. Mankind and Jenny constantly left Christ and Forrest, and went off there own way, only to find that there own way led to pain, death, and darkness (Jenny tried to commit suicide). When Jenny finally decides to come back, Forrest was not angry, but overjoyed. So to is Christ, when we by His power come back to Him. Forrest spent every hour of the rest of his life serving Jenny and comforting her as she slowly died. So to Christ comforts us and cares for us when we feel we are "dying." In the end, we know that through Christ we will not die, but live eternally with Him in heaven.
Tonight a very great friend of mine presented me with a card that contained the Bible verse "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (Deut 31:6).
Forrest supported Jenny, but that was just a movie. Christ supports us and will never fail us, and that is truth.
"We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."
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