Month: September 2014

Taking Chances

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need to be willing to take chances.
Sometimes we need to be willing to take chances.

I’m not really a big dare-devil with my life. I like to weigh all of the pros and cons before I make a decision. I like to dot my i’s and cross my t’s. I like to prepare for all possible scenarios before I proceed. I’m not too keen on taking a lot of chances not knowing what the outcome may be. This clinging to the shore, attitude has cost me a lot of sleepless nights. Part of it is how I’m wired. I’m a planner. My mama is a planner. I suppose it’s genetic.

But, lately, God has been showing me another way. There have been several instances where I felt very little planning was involved, (not nearly enough to my way of thinking), yet things turned out beautifully. God doesn’t seem to mind taking chances on us, so why should I think  any differently?

There are a ton of examples in the Bible of God taking a chance and trusting a human. He trusted Noah to build a giant ark and save all of the animals of creation, in the desert. All of the rest of mankind had turned wicked. Why not Noah and his family? Noah came through. He trusted that Job would continue to worship and praise Him even if he lost everything that he had been given and he had been given a lot. Job proved Him right. And my favorite, is a teenage girl named Mary. God trusted her to carry His son. She did beautifully.

These are just a few examples of God taking a chance and trusting humans to get it right. And it was a gamble; we are notoriously unreliable. We have proven that fact repeatedly. Yet, our Heavenly Father who loves us anyway, is willing to trust us with some important missions. He gives us multiple chances to get it right and forgives us repeatedly when we get it wrong.

Knowing that to be true, I have to ask myself if I shouldn’t be a little braver when I think of taking chances on things that I know God has asked me to do. I also sometimes need to take hard look at the people He has put in my path, you know the ones. They might drive me absolutely crazy or appear to be a lost cause altogether. But, God often reminds me that nothing is impossible if His hand is on it. I may not be able to fix any situation or circumstance, but He can.

So, maybe instead of playing it safe, what I should do is go all in and take a chance on what or who has been in front of me, give it my very best shot and let God handle all of the rest. Maybe I should give my heart and soul a break from all of the what ifs and just go with it. Even if I fail in my own eyes, as long as I’m serving Him, I have succeeded in His and isn’t that all that really matters?

What do you think about taking chances?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Red Sea Wisdom

Posted on by Wendy
"The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14
“The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

Our sermon at church on Sunday, was about the Israelites escaping from the Egyptians through the Red Sea. Most of us are familiar with this Old Testament story. I particularly love stories in the Bible that demonstrate God’s use of His incredible power when His people are being pursued by those who wish them harm.

I haven’t read the story in a while, so I checked it out when I got home. The account is found in Exodus, Chapters 13 and 14, if you want to check it out for yourself. The first thing that jumped out at me is that God took the Israelites the long way around to the Promised Land. He had a plan. How often do we question why it takes so long to get where we are trying to go? It could be anything from personal finances to relationships. God’s timing is usually different from ours and there’s always a reason. The Israelites had to have wondered why they were headed directly towards the Red Sea. They didn’t have boats.

How often do we wonder the same? Is God listening to us? Does He know what He’s doing? Doesn’t He see that giant obstacle in our paths? We could learn a lot from the Israelites.

Then there’s the awesome parting of the Red Sea. As the Egyptians get closer, the Israelites panic. At this point, they are regretting even leaving Egypt. How quickly they forget all of those plagues that God kept them safe from. At this point Moses tells them one of my favorite Bible verses. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14.

How often do we need to hear those words? How often do we listen to them and really take them to heart?

Moses lifts his staff and leads them directly into the Red Sea, which has parted and created a wall of water on either side and they walk through on dry land, not muddy muck, but dry land. But here’s the thing, the Egyptians continue to pursue them. God at any point, could have just struck them down or put an angel in their path, but He allowed them to pursue the Israelites. Why? Why would God do that? Why not just stop them?

God had a plan. He always has a plan. He wanted to teach the Egyptians a lesson they would never forget. He wanted to show them what happened to the enemies of God’s people. He let the Israelites get safely across and then the Egyptians who had happily been enjoying God’s gift of dry land, were swept away when Moses raised his hand again. The text says that not one of Pharaoh’s army survived.

The inner journalist in me, would love to know what was going through the Israelites’ minds at this point. What was their conversation like? What does this story hold for us?

I think that there are times in life when we wonder if God really has our backs. Is He listening to our prayers? Why won’t He remove the negative people or circumstances that at times seem to pursue us, our Egyptians? Then there are the obstacles, the Red Sea in our own lives that appear impossible to get around. Why doesn’t He just remove them?

While I don’t have the answers to any of these specific questions, my faith and the Bible tells me that God has a plan. We don’t need to panic. We can stand still and know that God will fight for us and if we know deep in our hearts that truth, then we should be able to rest easy. There is no enemy or obstacle that is too big for God. If you have any doubt in that, check out the Exodus story. It’s pretty powerful stuff.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Choosing to Honor God With Our Unique Gifts

Posted on by Wendy
When we chose to use our unique gifts and talents, we honor God.
When we choose to use our unique gifts and talents, we honor God.

I recently had the opportunity to watch the Robin Williams film, “Dead Poet’s Society.” I saw it when it was first released, but that was back in 1989, so I had forgotten what a fabulous movie it was. It takes place at a very prestigious, all boys boarding school in 1959. They do everything by the book, so to speak and everyone does just as they are told. No one would ever dare question the people who are in charge.

Robin Williams plays a teacher who graduated from this school, but he has the heart of a poet and wants to encourage the boys to follow their dreams. All mayhem breaks loose and I could probably come up with at least five posts on this movie. I highly recommend it. But, there was one particular scene that I can’t get out of my mind.

He takes his senior literature class outside to the courtyard, an act in itself that raised the eyebrows of the administrators. Why in the world would you leave the classroom? He picks three boys out of the group and tells them simply to walk around. Just walk. They have no idea what he’s up to, but they comply. At first, they walk at their own stride and pace, but it doesn’t take long before they are in a line, marching to the same tempo, in the same exact stride. “There it is.” Robin Williams says.

He goes on to say that they shouldn’t do everything everyone else does, but should find their own way. What a stunning truth from a simple exercise. We are born as individuals with individual talents, but it doesn’t take long for us to want the same clothes and hair as everyone else. As teens, we strive to fit in and as adults, we often don’t fare much better.

From weddings to houses to cars to jobs, we like to be just like the proverbial Joneses. But, here’s the thing, if we believe that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and the Bible says we are, do we believe that God is in the assembly line business? No, I believe God made each of us differently with different strengths and talents, but somewhere along the way, we usually “fall into the society step,” just like those boys in the movie, and we hide or even forget that which makes us different, that little thing that used to make us light up.

If you were to search deep inside your soul and ask yourself if you could do anything what would it be? Would you have an immediate answer? If yes, then maybe it’s time to pray about getting in touch with using your unique dream or talent to serve God in some way. If not, maybe it’s time to pray that God will remind you of what it is, or help you uncover it.

It doesn’t have to be some over the top dream of moving to Paris to paint. It could be something very simple like teaching someone to cook or to put up vegetables. I really believe that God wants us to use our unique talents He gifted us with to serve in some way and when we do, we are really able to tap into a contentment and joy that we can’t find in other ways. I don’t think our amazing creative God wants us to settle for hum-drum.

I think He wants us to honor Him with all that we have and when we do, we are keeping our own pace and walking our own stride and it’s a beautiful thing!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

When You Feel Like a Fire Hydrant

Posted on by Wendy
Some days you feel like a fire hydrant.
Some days you feel like a fire hydrant.

There are some days, no matter how hard I try to focus on all that is good, that it seems like the all of the people and events who surround me collectively come together to rain on my parade. Yesterday was one of those mornings. My fifteen-year-old had to be at her first Beta Club Meeting, so we had to leave the house early. After her second change of clothes finally suited her, she came downstairs with toothpaste on her shirt. We finally got that out and at last, left our house.

Of course we got behind the slowest station wagon on the planet, who drove in front of us the entire way to school. The man who had his window down to hang his cigarette out, never got over 35 miles per hour. My daughter’s bestie was texting her every two seconds that she needed to hurry up and get there. Now I love that child, but seriously? My daughter doesn’t drive. I was driving and I was doing the best I could.

When I at last dropped her out at school, she reminded me again that the drain in her tub was running so slowly that it was covering her feet when she showers. Great, I knew we were out of Draino, so I added to my long list of things to do, a stop at the store. I headed out the back way of the high school parking lot and guess who did the same? Yep, the smoking station wagon driver. When he finally, turned off, my gas light came on. I proceeded to get gas and promised myself a walk when I returned home. I really needed to shake off this negativity and try to re-focus. On my way out of my garage for my walk, I passed by my van. The fuel door was open. I had left the gas cap on the pump at the gas station. Terrific!

These little annoyances weren’t life shattering, but sometimes I think that if Satan can keep us distracted and annoyed, then we are kept from really listening to what God may have in store for us for the day. We may miss an opportunity to extend a kindness or even to remember to pray for someone or we may be too annoyed to sit down and do our daily devotional. I have learned that on mornings like this that I really need to stop and take a breath and pray that God will send me some peace so I can listen for His voice.

I passed by the fire hydrant above and had to chuckle. I felt like a fire hydrant that morning. Perhaps you have had mornings like the one I’m describing, mornings where everything goes wrong and you just can’t seem to find your peace. Jesus had some great advice here. He said, “And so I tell you, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9

As I walked, I prayed and I asked God for peace and refocus, so that I didn’t miss any opportunities that He may have for me. When I arrived home, a little calmer, I checked my e-mail. I had the kindest e-mail from a man from my church who I respect very much. He just happened to have discovered my blog that day and offered me a blessing, “May God bless you and empower you to share his love through your thoughts and writings.” He went on to say that he was sharing a link with the church e-mail list.

I was stunned and moved to tears. I asked God to help me bless others and I received a blessing. I had record views that day of my words. Prayer works. When we seek to serve God, He will help us. We just need to be vigilant. There are forces that would like for us to stay angry and annoyed and therefore ineffective. So on those days when you feel like a fire hydrant, lean into God, and ask for some assistance and for peace. There’s no telling what He may have in store.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

More Lessons From Camping

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.

On my recent camping adventure, we had all circled up around the camp fire ring. All of the tents had been taken down and the cars and bus had been packed. Our youth pastor, had given everyone the instructions to find an object that represented something that was special to them about the weekend. The adults participated too.

It was really kind of interesting as everyone shared something, that most everyone came back to either community or water. One of the men stood up with a clear plastic cup of water. He said the cup represented community and the water represented the rain that sometimes falls on community. To demonstrate, he walked around the circle and sprinkled drops on all of us. He went onto say that sometimes rain falls in our lives and we don’t understand why; sometimes it’s light rain and sometimes it pours. But, we can be sure that God has His hand in it and as a community, we have to pull together to get through it. One day we will understand.

How profound. Our church community has really been struggling and what a beautiful concrete picture, he presented for the kids and honestly, even more so, for the adults.

When my own hubby stood up, he had two items, one was an old can he found and one was a small yellow bunch of flowers that one of the high schoolers had given him. The can represented God’s creation and learning to really appreciate it. He encouraged all of our technology addicted kids to get out in it more and appreciate it, and to leave it better than they found it.

The next part really took my breath away. He hates to talk in a group, but he held up the bunch of flowers and told the group that the bunch represented community. He took one and said you never think of one flower as much, but a bunch is eye-catching. They grow together in a bunch and they make the most impact in a bunch, just like community. He drew a round of applause as he sat down.

I made a mental note to ask him about his reflection later. It was just so unlike him.

Later that night, as we were sitting around our own dinner table, our family was taking turns sharing what we liked best about the weekend. We all had different stories. The kids talked about their highs and lows. We all felt like it was our favorite youth trip so far, and then my hubby shared something with us.

He told us that he had picked up the can and had rehearsed in his head what he would say, when the high schooler handed him the bunch of flowers. When he asked her what he was supposed to do with them, she told him she didn’t know. He said that when it was his turn to speak, that he had come up with something about the beauty of flowers, but when he began to speak, something completely different came out.

The kids and I were silent for a moment and I admit that I had chills. The Holy Spirit was clearly at work. The Bible tells us in Corinthians 2:13, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”

We had spent that weekend trying to build community among our youth and among the parents and, the Holy Spirit was clearly behind our success. Community is so important to Christians of all ages in all stages of their journey. When we reach out to try to build it, we are often rewarded with something beautiful and sometimes when we talk with each other about our experiences, we can actually see some of the Divine behind the scenes. I have to tell you, it’s pretty awesome!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Happy Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Posted on by Wendy
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Today is a huge day for me. It’s the one year anniversary of Graceful Gaines. For one year now, I have posted Monday through Friday my thoughts and reflections as I seek more of God in my life. I want to thank you all for reading and for the many positive comments you have given me here and on Facebook and through phone calls and in person. Every share, every note has meant the world to this fledgling writer.

I have always wanted to be a writer and I put that little dream on the back burner for a long time and then I felt an awakening of sorts, and that God was nudging me to write. I didn’t really know anything about blogging so I did a little research. He prompted me to start off with a small online Bible Study that was only open to the people I invited. I really enjoyed it and had a good response. There were times as I sat at my keyboard, that I knew the words were not mine, but came from the Holy Spirit. It was an awesome feeling. It wasn’t until about six months later that I felt in my heart, it was really time to proceed.

As I made the plans to get started, I had to come up with a name. I was praying about it and had bounced around a dozen or so ideas on paper. Then one day, right after I dropped my daughter off at school, the name came to me. When I did a search, I knew it didn’t exist already, because I felt as if God whispered it in my ear.

My premise for writing was simple. Watch for God in the world around me and share what I see and learn. It’s been such an amazing ride. As I seek God, He always gives me something to share. When I feel myself grappling with faith issues, I share them here because I think others may be struggling with the same. Isn’t that what community is supposed to be about? I have learned so much while writing in this space and you have shared so much and caused me to think harder and dig deeper.

I have a neat little program that shows how many people from different countries have read my words. People from 56 different countries have visited this site and some of the countries are not even Christian countries. People from places like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates have read encouraging words about Jesus. My simple words have been read around the world and that thought moves me to tears.

Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone who have visited Graceful Gaines.
Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone living there who has visited Graceful Gaines.

God has been so faithful to me as I try to share my story intertwined with His and the response has amazed me. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Thanks for all of your encouragement and your comments. I pray that I can continue to encourage you and provide you with food for thought for another year. This journey has truly been a dream come true for me. Thanks so much for helping me make that happen.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Lessons from a Youth Group Camping Trip

Posted on by Wendy

I have just returned from a weekend in the woods with our church youth group. We spent the weekend camping. I’m ashamed to say that I went kicking and screaming this year. I kind of had a Jonah moment. It’s not that I mind sleeping in a tent or the fact that it always rains. Seriously, it rains every time I camp and this trip was no exception. It’s not that I am even horribly opposed to a weekend with no shower. Of course, the person who sat next to me at dinner on Saturday night might not have been happy with my lack of showering.

No, what I mind the most is the hours and hours of work required when I return home. The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore, especially when everything you took is wet.

The laundry alone, turns into a two day task.
The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore.

Then there’s the fact that you have to put up your tent again to let it dry in the driveway and we have two, along with blowing up air mattresses, and taking out folding chairs and cleaning coolers with bleach.

“Why do I always have to go camping?” I questioned God. “Why can’t some other parents go?” I got no answer to that, but I knew in my heart that I was supposed to go. I grudgingly went.

We planned something new this year. My hubby, our youth pastor and I, brainstormed on how to get more families involved and we came up with the idea that perhaps people who didn’t want to camp, might come for a family dinner.

Now, that you have heard my many objections to this trip, let me tell you how blessed I was for being a part of it. This group of kids was amazingly sincere and deep. Pastor Nikki asked them during devotion time on Saturday morning, to go and find something from nature that reminded them of a story or concept from the Bible. I was amazed at what they came up with. There were thirteen kids and each one had something different.

There was a stick that was Moses’ staff to part the Red Sea and a log used to build the Ark and a stone to represent the woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone before Jesus intervened. There was a tiny branch that represented the olive branch that the dove brought to Noah when he was searching for land. Another rock represented the one that took down Goliath. I was stunned at their Biblical knowledge and creativity.

Then there was an affirmation activity where three people had to say something well thought out, about the person standing up. Here again, the comments were just beautiful.

There was a family who I didn’t know very well who showed up to help with everything from meals to making a fire and it was a joy getting to know them. They were so much fun.

We had around thirty-five people for our family dinner and it was fabulous. My hubby smoked two Boston butts. One of the moms showed up and helped me peel potatoes and she brought my hubby a cake for his birthday. It was more than I could have ever hoped for.

When we started a worship time, it began to pour down rain. Everyone moved to the covered pavilion and squeezed in tight to hear the message. After the families left, Pastor Nikki had the kids sing Happy Birthday to my hubby and we all shared cake that another mom brought.

I really was moved by it all and I was ashamed for my reluctance to obey God’s calling. And on Sunday morning, as I trudged to the bathroom, God rewarded me with a gorgeous sunrise.

I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn't obeyed God's call to go camping.
I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn’t obeyed God’s call to go camping.

To top it off, when we arrived home, one of the dads from the night before who had also come for Sunday morning worship, pulled into our driveway. He hopped out of his car and told us he knew that if he asked if he could help, we would have told him no, so he just came. He helped put together all of that stuff in the driveway. This is the community that I am always writing about, right here.

As I write this, I am humbled by the blessings I received this weekend and moved to tears at God’s desire to bless me as I serve Him, even when I do it kicking and screaming. I hope I will be more willing and enthusiastic next time.

How are you doing with obedience? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

I Couldn’t Help Myself….

Posted on by Wendy
Not eating too much cake is an exercise in self-control.
Not eating too much cake is an exercise in self-control.

Have you ever seen a toddler throw a temper tantrum? They completely lose control of themselves as they scream and cry until their little faces turn red. They sometimes lie on the floor and thrash about. As parents, we have several ways of dealing with their behavior. We can ignore it or meet it head on. We also know that there can be extenuating circumstances. For example, if the child hasn’t had a nap, losing self-control is much more likely. A well rested child is typically happier.

We hear the phrase, “I couldn’t help myself;” a lot in our society. Most of us have said it at some point. It can refer to ordering a dessert to eating an entire bag of cookies. It can refer to drinking too much alcohol or making a purchase that we had no business making. It can even refer to words we had no business saying to someone. The phrase itself can seem rather harmless. But, is it?

When we say, “I couldn’t help myself;” we are acknowledging that we had no control, whatsoever over our actions. But, if we had no control over our actions, then who did? Now we get to the phrase, “The devil made me do it.” That’s another phrase that seems harmless. Most of us have uttered that as well at some point. When we say something like that, we don’t really believe we have succumbed to some sort of demonic possession.

But, here again, can we really not control ourselves? The New Testament has a lot to say about self-control which isn’t really surprising when you think about it. The Old Testament had a lot of rules and laws to follow. The New Testament is centered around grace and Jesus’ call to follow him. Jesus was definitely a portrait of self-control.

Self-control is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit right up there with joy and peace and love. Have you ever wondered why that may be? Why is self-control so important to Christians? For one thing, our religion doesn’t teach that if we don’t do exactly as we are told by our leadership that we will be be-headed. Our faith teaches a different way. We are to love God and love one another, when we do those two things, all of the rest falls into place.

So, how do we attain this elusive self-control? We can take a cue from our cranky toddler example. When we are over tired, Satan can get a foothold. It’s easier to lose control when we are exhausted. We can read the Bible. As I said earlier, there are a ton of examples of the importance of self-control found in it. We can surround ourselves with community who will help us with whatever we struggle with. This is why Weight Watchers works for those who are trying to lose weight and Alcoholics Anonymous works for those trying to stop drinking alcohol. Community works. Those two programs are shining examples.

A solid church community can also be helpful if we are fighting on keeping self-control in some area. Being accountable to others for our actions can really help us stay on the path to self-control.

Of course, there is prayer. We always have the ability and privilege to give to God whatever is gnawing at our souls. When we pray earnestly about something as important to our faith walk as self-control, I have no doubt He will send help. Sometimes we simply need to ask. The Bible tells us that, “The temptations in your life are no different than what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

I don’t know about you, but I find that comforting. How do you do with self-control?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

What Kind of Example Are We Setting?

Posted on by Wendy
This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.
This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.

As I was taking a walk last week, I came across this mama dear and her fawn. I encounter them fairly regularly in just about the same spot. My neighborhood has lots of green space and trees. We also have creeks and branches and some power lines which provide somewhat of a  wildlife sanctuary. We have many deer and my kids and I enjoy watching the little deer with spots every summer.

From watching these two, I’ve learned that the little fawn watches her mama constantly. When I walk by, if the mama stops eating and freezes as I walk by, the fawn does too. If the mama hears a car and decides to run off into the woods, the fawn follows. In the picture above, they were both watching me.

I suppose human offspring behave the same way, which can be good or bad. Human children imitate what they see, not what they hear. Not in the history of the world, has the statement, “Do what I say, not what I do.” had very lasting results. Think about it. If the kids grew up with parents who smoke, they often become smokers. If they grew up with parents who drink, they often become drinkers. This list is fairly endless.

On a positive note, kids imitate the positives too. If we pray with our kids when they grow up, they will most likely continue to pray as adults. If we are kind to each other in our homes, they will most likely be kinder human beings. If we are open about our beliefs and the importance of church and serving and we actually attend regularly and serve, our children are more likely to do the same.

As parents raising kids, we are always being watched. If we accept that premise, we may be tempted to think that after we have done our eighteen years of raising our own kids, then we are at last free to do whatever we want with no consequences. I don’t think it’s supposed to work that way.

When we claim to be Christians, the world at large is always watching us. While we may be done with the specific people God has put in our charge, we are never done modeling the Gospel. And that’s the hard part, isn’t it? We can all read it and even proclaim it, but can we live it?

The beauty of growing older is the unique wisdom that comes with it, especially if we have spent a long time seeking God with our lives. The Bible says, “Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old.” Job 12:12

That means that older people have something unique to bring to the table. Let’s face it, as Christians, we walk around with a target on our backs. We are incredibly blessed in the United States that it’s not a literal target; let’s never forget that there are people at this moment who are dying for proclaiming Jesus.

Those of us who have been on the journey with Jesus for a while and especially those who have grown old on the walk, have a responsibility to try to be truly representative of what we claim to believe. We really need to be vigilant in reading our Bibles and trying to reach out to those who are seeking, because wherever we are on this Jesus Journey, whether we are ten or a hundred, as long as we are breathing, we are not finished and the world is watching.

How are you doing at living out the Gospel message? It’s never too late to start.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

It’s Time to Ask Yourself What You Believe

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves what it is that we beleive?
Sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves, what it is that we believe?

Over the long Labor Day weekend, Charter Communications, my cable provider was kind enough to run some awesome movies which allowed my family to do a little vegging out in front of the television. One of the movies we watched was, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; that’s the one where Sean Connery plays Dr. Jones’ father and they are looking for the Holy Grail, which is the cup that Jesus drank out of during the Last Supper.

In the final part of the movie, they have located the grail in an intricate building/cave that has been carved into a mountain. The bad guys have already sent in three men to go forward and all have literally lost their heads. The lead bad guy tells Indiana to go and get it. He refuses. He then shoots Sean Connery who falls to the floor, bleeding to death. He reminds Indiana that the cup is supposed to offer eternal life and he has to go and get it to save his father.

As Indiana stands there trying to decide what to do, the man says, “It’s time to ask yourself, Dr. Jones, what is it that you believe?”

Of course Indiana takes the challenge and retrieves the cup and saves his dad. But, this movie really got me to thinking about that statement, “It’s time to ask yourself what is it that you believe?” That’s a good question to ponder from time to time and often a loaded one. Our beliefs sometimes change as we grow older and hopefully wiser.

Hopefully, as we grow older, we learn that the need to always be right can be destructive, just as never admitting we are wrong can be. The failure to repent can be very detrimental to our souls. Indiana’s first task when he set out to find the grail, was to figure out how, “only the penitent man could pass.” The first three who tried lost their heads.

Think about it, what position is the penitent man in? He’s on his knees. What is he doing on his knees? He’s praying for forgiveness. Then he prays for guidance and direction. I think perhaps we need more penitent men, (and women) in our world today. If we never admit we are wrong, how can we be granted forgiveness? If we don’t feel forgiven, then how can we journey on in faith?

Indiana’s next challenge was, “stepping out in faith.” He stood at the edge of a huge drop off. There was nothing between where he was and where he needed to be. To step off, would mean certain death. He could hear his father’s words as he stepped out in faith. A bridge appeared. It was there all along, but he couldn’t see it until he took the step. Isn’t that a beautiful illustration of faith? We can’t see how God will provide, but we take the step anyway, knowing that He will.

I think that perhaps if we want to really grow our faith, we need to be sure that we are truly penitent. We need to be sure that our prayers don’t look like a Christmas letter to Santa Clause. We need to be sure we sound more like the prayer Jesus taught us, “thy will be done, forgive us as we forgive others” (that one will make you cringe). Maybe we should be asking for our “daily bread” and not for a ton of material possessions and simply asking for, “deliverance from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13

Of course our prayers are going to be longer and more personal, but I think the Lord’s Prayer is a good template. I think regularly admitting our sins to God is vital to our faith walk. I think maybe we need to be more penitent. Maybe we should ask ourselves what it is that we believe and then try to live it. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂