... Opportunity

Today, my godchildren, their parents, a high school friend of their father's, and a couple other family friends, watched a movie on a big screen in a great room with a stage-- picnic style.
The movie was 'Evan Almighty.'
I love movies! I basically love watching screens-- with the exception of video games. I do NOT like video games.
I love movies because, at least, I think this is why I love movies, I get transported outside of my own hang-ups, prejudices, frustrations, self comforts, and fears, into this world where I get to believe that the character needs me to watch him/her get to the end of the movie.
Disclaimer: I do not watch nonsense, lesson-less, movies.
Before I digress, (which, I know, I do often - my apologies)...
In the times that I have previously seen 'Bruce Almighty' or 'Evan Almighty', I have always been hit with a renewed wonderment of just how lovely their rather fair depiction of a lovingly relentless God. Not abrasive, not demanding, not political. Just... well... everything a believer would like to believe that Someone they trust and love is.
In both 'Almighty' movies, I learned something - the same thing.
No matter how hard, how uncomfortable, how embarrassing, how inconceivable what God may ask us to do might be, three things (so far) are certain:
1. He is not going to change His mind about calling YOU to do THAT thing.
2. You are not alone. He is always going to be there when a "Professional" is needed.
3. He has already seen the future of that calling. Therefore, You. Are. Okay. You're good. You're golden. You be ballin'.
But that is not the lesson I learned from 'Evan Almighty' today. The lesson I learned reduced me to that same blubbering mess it always reduces me to whenever that movie comes on.
Evan's wife leaves him- because her congressman husband suddenly began to grow a Moses-type beard, had flowing long hair, and wore an old-fashioned-carpetbag material type robe, and walked with a staff; claiming that God told him to build an Ark. In the middle of suburbia. In the middle of a drought. SAY WHAT??!!
Personally, I am not AT ALL questioning her decision to leave, nor am I judging her too harshly for not leaving sooner... and perhaps dropping him off at a nuthouse on her way.
Sorry... Back to my lesson...
Evan's wife is sitting in a diner, when God (Morgan Freeman) comes to her, as a human, and asks her why she was so downcast. She relays to Him concerning her desire for a closer family, husband, the ark, and her confusion about the whole affair.
God teaches her something about seeing the 'opportunity' in the midst of the trial.
He asks her: "When we pray for patience, does God grant us patience? Or does He give us the OPPORTUNITY to be patient? When we ask for a closer family, does God give us a closer family? Or the OPPORTUNITY to love... enduring all?"
I am always melted by that portion of the movie; because I think about myself and the opportunities I continue to WASTE daily. I feel a great deal of shame at how far I have come with God, and how very little I have to show for it.
A few things I took with me, hoping this time I keep it inside my heart, that I might not sin against God:
When I ask God to teach my how to love to pray, I will snatch the ENDLESS opportunities to pray. For help, for you, for me, for my friend, my neighbor, my exams, my goals, my family, my future, my children.
When I ask God to teach me how not to be complainant, I will find the silver lining and focus more on the roses, than the thorns.
When I ask God for patience, I will grab the opportunity for long-suffering (including not wanting to rip my hair out when... well... it doesn't take a whole lot.)
When I ask God for the power to forgive, I will take the Opportunity to continue to pray for the power to forgive.
The same goes for other things I struggle with; like: Procrastination, a short temper, pride, and lack of confidence.

So what do I do now?
I make like Evan's wife.
I stare my defects in the face, grab my opportunities, and dare them.
Do I expect them to always be easy? Honestly? Yes I do!
Realistically? No I don't.
But my chances are good. Nay, my chances are GREAT!
After all, I've never been much of a realist anyway... ;)

... And Glory Fills My Soul

I love to drive.
I can drive ANYWHERE.
I love that my job is longer than ten minutes away from my house because that means I Get To Drive!
(Note: I do NOT like being a passenger for any trip longer than 30 minutes. I get sick, I get cranky, I get uncomfortable... It's just not pretty.)
Apart from keeping me from feeling like I'm about to hurl my intestines all over suede (or leather- for those of you who apparently always park your car in the shade in 102 degree weather), driving is the time during my day where I am COMPLETELY focused on God. I talk to Him. I talk with Him. I LISTEN to what He's saying. Please understand that listening and doing tend to actually be two completely different notions for me...
... but that's another blog.
I say things in a car, that ordinarily I wouldn't say anywhere else. I mean, I carry it in my heart, but I don't repeat it with the same eloquence I had when at first I heard it.
The best part of my life with God, is in a car. Apparently. In a car is also is where I believe in myself, because most of my books are written there. (Thank Heavens for tape recorders.)
I get to hear
I get to listen
I get to share
I get to pray... sometimes for you
I also get to be a little annoyed at what God is doing that I may not like
I get to admit things that I ordinarily would never tell anyone else
I get to tell God that I am not as strong as everybody thinks I am
I get to tell God that when things are going really well, I appreciate it, but it makes me really nervous for when they may go awry.
I get to tell God all the things I want to do, and I want to be
I tell God that none of those things matter if I don't have Him first.

May I not forget to mention, that I love driving alone. While to the other drivers it may look like the girl in the car next to them who either has laughter creasing her the sides of her eyes, or tears running down her face is lonely; I know I've got Heaven.
And Heaven's got me.