The Essence of Ripples
The year 2020 has obviously been a little different. We have all found ourselves having more time with family (including pets) than we are used to. We have had the opportunity to reflect on our lives. We have been given an opportunity to see life in a different way if we choose to.
At the Washington household, I have been taking advantage of decreased work and spending time with my two daughters watching some movies together. Two of the movies that we have watched are God’s Not Dead and God’s not Dead 2. I highly recommend both if you have not seen them. If you have, I highly recommend you watch again!
Each movie had a particular moment that caught my ear. They both reminded me of the reason I started this little blog. That reason is to cause a “ripple” is somebody’s life in a positive way. To change someone’s life for the good.
In the first movie, the main character is a freshman college student who is challenged by an atheist professor to prove the existence of God. If the student fails, he fails the class, therefore probably cementing his failure at getting into law school. The student, of course, is debating whether to accept the challenge or to agree with the professor that God is dead and move on with his life. However, the student is a christian and therefore is torn of what to do.
The student finally sits down with a local pastor and discusses his dilemma. He shares with the pastor his feelings and fears of failure. The pastor then drops a nugget of advice to the student that was the moment that caught my ear. He told the student that whether the student succeeds or fails is irrelevant. What is most important is that his testimony before the class could be the only time his classmates will be exposed to the Bible. This debate was a ripple moment for the main character. It was his moment to be a positive influence on somebody’s life. Was it going to be easy? No. Was he guaranteed success? No. Could it hurt the student’s future? Yes, in the world’s eyes.
“…who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
We never know what God has in store for us each day. But we must be willing and available. Let Him worry about the success. There are times that prove to be very difficult and it may seem that God has dropped you in the middle of nowhere and left you alone to fend for yourself. Just know He is there. That brings me to the “aha” moment in the second movie.
In this movie the main character is on trial for her faith. She makes the comment that she feels alone and that God is nowhere to be found. Her grandfather gives her a little advice. He tells her that during the test is the moment that the teacher is the most quiet.
God gives us opportunities to live. He gives us the opportunity and He gives us the tools. But then He takes His hands off to allow us to use the tools. It is called free will. It is also called experience. It helps us grow and mature. It helps us learn. It prepares us for bigger, better, and tougher things in the future.
You can think of it like training for a marathon. Not sure why anyone would want to run 26+ miles at one time but we all have our faults. If you are trying to train for the race, you should not expect to be able to run the full length of the marathon on the first day of training. You have to build up. It takes work. You have to push yourself. You gradually improve. The same with life and God’s work. He doesn’t expect you to be a Bible scholar the first time you pick up a Bible.
He knows you need to take baby steps in learning to live for Him. Jesus trained His disciples personally, face to face for 3 years and they still were not perfect. But they were available and knew that God had their back. They applied their faith, were willing to do what God asked, and 12 common everyday little “nobodies” turned this world upside down!
Well written! Thanks David.
This did make me laugh though, “You can think of it like training for a marathon. Not sure why anyone would want to run 26+ miles at one time but we all have our faults.”