I used to hate movies like PS: I love you and 500 days of Summer, and I never knew why. I hated that there was no happy ending like every other fairy-tale movie. I hated seeing the main characters going through hard times and it wasn't until recently that I discovered that this was because I'm paranoid. Not in the creepy mental-case way, but in a way that I think we all are for awhile. We've been so conditioned to think that life is one simple story. Girl is born, grows up in a happy family with 2.5 siblings, meets one boy who changes her life and is absolutely perfect, never wants anything else in life, gets married and lives (you guessed it) happily ever after. Occasionaly Hollywood thinks it's clever and adds in a girl who finds this happiness in a job or epic journey instead however it fits the mold pretty acurately.
So what happens? The first time you truely believe you've found that "happily ever after" and it turns out that it's not, then what? It reminds me of that illustration about the teabag and the carrot. When placed in hot water a teabag will change its surroundings making them sweeter and completely altering the end product. The carrot, however, is filled with the hot water and turns limp and weak changing almost nothing about the hot water. When we choose to start again, fresh, with hope and a God who is strong enough to make us sweeter through the hard times we can really grow, not only in the Lord but also as a person. It frees us to a completely wide open future which is so completely in God's control that we don't HAVE to worry about the finer details.
However, we can always shrivel back up if we're not careful. Self-pity is a huge temptation and leads quickly to this selfish lonely choice. I heard a challange once that whenever you're feeling bad for yourself the best remedy is to go help someone else, while not mentioning at all your problems. I pass that challange on to you, because it really does take your mind off your troubles and encourages you because you are being a blessing in someone else's life.
I've discovered something important lately. Life isn't just one simple story, it's made up of many interlacing complex threads of good and bad times which leads to one glorious finale. While there is a happily ever after, it has absolutely nothing to do with us finding fulfillment in the things of this world. I told Christ this morning that I wanted to spend today with Him, that I wanted today to be about me and Him and He showed up in full force. I would encourage you, He wants to spend time with you, and I promise it won't be boring. Everyday has new lessons and blessings to learn. Him who has ears let him hear. I've been saying that a lot lately but it's so true for myself as well.
God is NOT a tame God. If you ask Him to, He will bring you to the end of life as you know it and into a life that is far beyond what you thought to ask for.
Psalms 126:5-6
~Elyz~
