I just watched a cute, funny and good movie. Now, I am not a professional critic, so if you hated this movie, I’m sorry. You go ahead. I liked it and I liked it because it went against the Hollywood normalcy of sex, violence, criticizing the Christian faith, and anti-family themes. And it portrayed family, marriage, and prayer in a good light. That and it gave me oodles of great material for my Mercy Memos… pieces for years, if I wanted to milk it that far.
Anyway, today I want to follow along with “God” (Morgan Freeman from Bruce Almighty, driving Miss Daisy and other movies) in a quote: “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
I have had this happen to me: I used to ask for patience, but I don’t anymore. Because He will give me plenty of practice. I used to ask for… well, you get the hint. Smart folks don’t pray for patience, or courage, or faith… because the Lord knows we need to find chances for it, before we’ll grow.
It’s all about growth. If I really want to be a better person (more faithful, more courageous, more loving, more prayerful) then God is going to give me chances. He’s going to give me chances to practice whatever I want, because it is ONLY through adversity and trial that I will grow.
If I want to really be more loving to my family, it would be stupid for it to be easier, because I would then not try as hard. If the kids were nicer, kinder, happier all the time, then it would be easier for me to just accept the status quo. But if the kids are struggling, having issues, angry, then I grow by being more loving and having a chance to practice that love in faith through works, the physical work of love: giving of myself, my time and my energy.
If I want to be more faithful, then it does me no good to have a church of happy people who serve me all the time. I have to put my feet to the path and walk, no matter how bad the sermon, no matter how catty the women, no matter how difficult the situation. If I put my faith in Christ in this situation, He will give me that tools, strength and love to go forth and have more faith.
In Evan Almighty, “God” said that some people see trials, others see opportunities. Have you seen an opportunity to be closer to your family today, this week, Christmas?
Pray for it all, and God will help you get there.
AMDG
