Thursday 17 April 2014

Is my life Epic?

Today, I watched 2012 on my own. I stopped half way through because it felt too intense and I was getting wrapped in it so deep I felt like my house would collapse in on me. Yikes! I finished watching it later and it maintained its intensity. The ending was somewhat happy for most of the main characters. I'm glad to know that this did not happen in reality. Also, they did not mention Canada, at all.

After watching something so intense, even though it was bed time, I could not go to sleep thinking of such things, so I watched a video podcast from The Meeting House called Epic Life with Tim Day. I must say, this teaching inspired me greatly. Tim did an excellent job and I had little trouble keeping up regardless of what others had told me. I did not watch it before home church this week and I felt regret because my mind was not in the right place to be talking with people about my opinions and calling in my life. I was ready for a career to focus on. I had things in mind to save money for. I had a deep desire to be a certain kind of person, wear certain clothes and talk a particular way.

I felt a bit of a shift after watching these two videos. What is truly important in this life? What am I here for? What am I letting myself keep me from giving God glory? My needs, desires and wants changed places in my mind. Like everybody shifting left a chair or two.

If I could go back and reset the day, I would start by thanking God that I am alive. I would have eaten breakfast and prayed through the whole meal, being thankful for every gift around me. As I drove with my husband, Aaron, to his job I would have prayed for things like guidance, wisdom, grace and love for the day. I would have come home immediately after and taken care of my home, cleaning etc., contacted the people I had on my list, and prayed and read the bible where God might have lead me. I would have put on worship music and danced and sang for him because he is great and loving.

I would have asked him throughout the day what he wants me to do for him and the people in my community. 'How can I help? Use me God, that is my greatest desire', I might have said. I would have prayed for my family and their salvation, learned something about the world around me that I might be able to get involved in and make a difference.

Instead, I drove with Aaron to his work in fear of all of the crazy drivers around us on the road. I found myself searching for a clothing store, where I did not need anything. I bought a few inexpensive items, convincing myself that 'it's alright, at least I only paid a few dollars for everything.' I met up with my friend and wanted nothing more than to sigh. I wanted something else deep down, but could not find the words to let it out. Feeling pretty good about myself with my new dresses and supplies for the fake reasons of Easter, I set off home, the entire way thinking of what else I needed to buy. After sending Aaron off to a friend's birthday celebration, I sat down and watched the earlier described videos. I sense a change of the wind.

Tim spoke of Daniel's prophetic dreams in the Old Testament, and Jesus later in the New Testament, conversing with his disciples and others about those prophecies. Tim reminded me, by what he wears, that it is good to live simply. He generally is wearing jeans, a Meeting House t-shirt and a simple sweater. I remember hearing that that is most of his wardrobe. Go Tim! I also felt, by his words, a need to find out my role in God's story. He talked about how movies are well written and their format. The main character tends to, in a good movie, have an adventure and a sense of heroism. Watch the Truman Show, and you'll see this played out wonderfully. Tim made me sit and think. And think some more. Wondering what to do.

Do you have a place in your life timeline marked out where your mind shifted so quickly as the ground in the movie, 2012? Africa and the Himalayas trading altitudes and the South Pole now centred on Wisconsin, USA. That's a major change! Maybe you have had a few of these changes. I think I have, but I do not often enough write them down and hold myself accountable to them. Embracing the simple, outward centred life I feel God calling me to again and again.

Watch these:
2012 (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Meeting House - Epic Life