The coolest thing to happen during the school year as a kid was the fire drill. A couple times a year the bells would start ringing and the teacher would say something like "Oh goodness me the fire bells are ringing. Class, in an orderly and quietly manner line up at the door". Right. Amongst chaos and screaming we bolted out the door and ran to the play ground and stood around for a half and hour while they made sure the building was empty. Uhuh. Yeah. Only half the teachers came out to watch over us. The other half were in the teachers lounge smoking cigarettes and passing around the bottle of "Mr. Happy". That's why we had 2 fire drills, so the other half got their shot. Good to be a teacher.
I really did get evacuated once. Not a fire drill but a real live bomb scare. I guess it was a scare 'cause nothing went off. Bummer. How great would THAT have been ?!? On opening night of Raiders of the Lost Ark we were 10 minutes into the movie when the movie stopped and the lights came on and the manager ran down front and said "There's a bomb in the building. In an orderly and quiet manner line up.....". He must have been a former teacher. The place was soon swarming with police and firemen yelling " Please move away from the building to the back of the parking lot". Yep. " In an orderly and quiet manner". Authority. We finally did get to see the movie.
I'm sad today. Sorta. I've been confronted with something again that I haven't changed about myself and I feel like I never will. Though I want to. But not really. Jesus was talking to this guy who had a bunch of stuff and told him to sell it, give the money to the poor and follow Him. The guy said " bummer " and walked away sad 'cause he had so much. He was so close.
I liked the third Indiana Jones movie the most. Sean Connery is the best. The part of the movie I was thinking about today was at the end where they'd discovered which cup Jesus drank from. There was this earthquake and the ground split apart and the cup fell down the hole and landed on a ledge. The lady (Elsa?) dove for the cup and ended up hanging by one hand over the abyss. As she was reaching and stretching for the cup Indy tried to get her to ignore it and grab onto his hand so she could be pulled to safety. She kept reaching for the cup. It meant wealth. And Power. In the end, it cost her too much.
I'm reminded of another movie where someone had something of such value it consumed him. The best CG character of any movie. Gollum. He had this ring and it was so precious to him he forgot about all else, including his own self. Really, he forgot, or ignored, right or wrong and pursued the ring no matter what it cost him. Or others. In the end he did get what he wanted and we watched as both burned into oblivion.
My friend Scott turned me on to this preacher named David Platt today. I'm so blown away and sad. He talked about being so in love with God. Sold out. So much so that the things I can get and have are meaningless compared with knowing Him. So much so that my love for my wife and kids looks like hate. What's that about? I've not been down that path. That's what makes me sad. I fear I never will. I'm so in love with the ring.
When I was in college I wanted to be like that. Maybe I was. Kinda. Sorta. My friend Scott was. And others. I thought of the American Dream as a nightmare. A wife.The house. The garage with 2 cars and bikes for my 2.5 children. My 401k and trips to Disney. Retirement package and a VCR (this was the 80's). All good stuff. Great stuff. All ok things to have unless I hate it in comparison to my love for my Dad.All ok unless I'm not willing to sell it, give the money to the poor and follow my Dad.
Life is subtle. It has a way of sneaking up on you and passing you by before you know it. And one day you wake up and you're the rich young ruler and you wont go where you're led. 'Cause you have a lot of stuff. I am that man. I'm not rich, or young (ooooohh that hurts) or a ruler but I play one on the TV of my life. And I've taught my kids this which is the saddest part for me because I can't have a do over. I've burdened them and others with a life of mediocrity and self love.
Every day is a new day. I pray I have the chance to wake up tomorrow and love my Dad so much that others feel left out in comparison. I hope I will. I hope and pray I'll find someone who'll do it with me. Because I don't know how. Because I'm scared. That's tomorrow. Tonight, I go to bed knowing I've fallen in love with a ring. Tomorrow I hope it's my Dad. Tonight though,I know who I am. I am Gollum.
Yesssss, the precioussss! You know, sometimes, I think we all fall into that trap, at one time or another. Satan is so good at deceiving us that we must be faithful to read our bibles and pray and focus on God everyday, every moment. Thankfully, when we get distracted by the thorns that choke out the Word of God, God knows our hearts and reminds us that we are His, He forgives us when we confess our sins, and He brings us back to a right relationship with Him.
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