Brick Walls of Life: How Badly Do You Want It?

To initially want to do something different in or with your life is one thing but to go through with it can be a completely different story. We all have our "stories" and they all have their own brick walls in them, located somewhere in your journey. Once you arrive at that wall, the question is, what will you do?

Many times movies portray someone running from someone else and the chase comes to an end at a brick wall. It is now a dead end. What is one to do? Many times the one in the corner is the underdog hero and can find their way out. However, there is the occasional time when that isn't the case, especially if the good guys are not the ones against the brick wall.

As I mentioned earlier, all of us encounter brick walls in life and that brings us to this week's quote...

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people. ~ Randy Pausch

Life's brick walls may not be there to entrap us. I liked how this quote portrayed the brick walls, not as dead ends, but as means to an end. They were almost like doors. We see them as a dead end, nothing to look forward to on the other end. However, if you saw the recent release of "The Lorax" then you know that "Ted" was trying to get on the other side. The other side was there to portray opportunity and a sense of freedom.

The brick wall did not stop him from getting to his opportunity, but it gave an opportunity to find something good.

What brick wall in your future will provide opportunity and not a stoppoing point?

Now it's your turn...when has an obstacle turned into an opportunity?

Emergency, Emergency!

"What are you going to be when you grow up?” If you ask my son this question, his answer will be “a fireman.” Over his short forty-five month life, he has told us that he is going to be a Chinese-food worker, a Pizza Hut worker, and a few other occupations, when he grows up. The latest, a fireman, has come after being introduced to the movie “Fireproof.” Though it is a movie that involves the subject of marriage, what my son takes from it is the thrilling life of “Fireman Caleb.” Caleb is the main character in the movie, played by Kirk Cameron.

Wanting to be a fireman has invoked a wide range of imaginative play. He takes the plug-in side of a cell phone charger to be the walkie-talkie that a fireman uses. He has used his bicycle helmet to be fireman’s helmet. He uses a smaller oatmeal container with a bungee cord through it as an oxygen container. It is rarely a dull moment when his imagination is in full swing and “Fireman Caleb” comes out to save the day.

Recently, I found a toy fireman’s hat and got it for him. When I showed it to him, he was very excited. I love his over-the-top showing of excitement when he receives something he really likes and the receiving of this new toy was no exception.

Recently, my son was going through his pre-bedtime ritual when I heard him exclaim, “Uh oh, Dad, your razor is in the toilet.” I ventured into the bathroom to find that one of the attachments to my mustache trimmer located at the bottom of the toilet. Upon my arrival at the toilet I said “Yep, that’s what it is.” My fourteen-month old daughter is growing more capable of taking things she finds in the house and putting them in places where one would commonly find water. As I start to reach into the water I hear my son come running from his room exclaiming “Emergency, emergency!” He had gone into his room to put on his newly acquired fireman’s hat. Now he came into the bathroom with only a t-shirt, underwear, and his toy fireman’s helmet.

As I pulled the attachment out of the toilet, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. The scene provided quite the entertainment.

As I thought about this situation, I couldn’t help but to think about how God must have his moments where He watches us scurry around in our “emergency” situations. My son’s “emergency” situation was no emergency at all. For him he was just playing fireman. However, in his pretending he was serious. He wanted to make sure and have his hat on so that he would be protected for the job.

As I go through my life being on God’s “team” there are times that I see a situation as an emergency and He must think, “Relax, I have this all under control.” Do you go through situations like that? Are there situations that come up that are major to you, at the time, causing you to become frazzled? However, in the grand scheme of things they are pretty little? Maybe it is losing your keys, missing a turn, forgetting an assignment at home, or a host of other issues we face.

Does God become worked up over those types of examples? I seriously doubt it. So why do we? One reason, because they are an “emergency” to us. When you miss your turn you may be heading to a job interview or some other event in which you are on a timeline. When you forget an assignment at home you are in jeopardy of having your grade lowered.

When the Israelites were in front of the Red Sea and the Egyptians were coming from behind, they, in their mind, were in an emergency. “Emergency, emergency!” they exclaimed. Though their words are paraphrased, “Why did you bring us out here to die to the Egyptians? You should have left us back in Egypt!” Putting the human aspect to the scene, I wonder if God was thinking something like, “Relax, I have it all under control. I need the Egyptians to come closer so that they will follow you across the Sea and then I can wipe them out, protecting My people.”

Are you in the middle of an emergency? I have my own emergencies often as deadlines approach. However, we must remember that God has these things all under control. As for a real emergency, that’s for another time.

“Up”: Don’t Forget the People You Pass

Last week, my family had the privilege of going to see the movie “Up”. A simple movie about a guy who fulfills a promise. Along the way he encounters different problems that were not in the original plans of accomplishing his goal. Isn’t this how life tends to treat us?

As I watched the movie, I wondered about the concept of getting to your goal and the different situations that come to you as you pursue that goal. Often times we are so caught up in being on time, graduating, making a good appearance, or bettering our career that we fail to see the little things that are going on all around us. Once we arrive at the goal, we may look back and see all the things that were behind us that we failed to see during our journey to our goal.

As mentioned, in the movie, the guy is heading toward a goal of fulfilling a promise. He is within eyeshot of his goal when a snag takes place (not the first in the journey). He then has to take an alternate route, with time being of the essence. During the alternate route other snags are encountered.

Fast forwarding a bit, he accomplishes his goal. He is ready to relax. However, another snag comes into play. This causes lots of “Oh, brothers” and rolling of the eyes as this was certainly not in the plans. After all, the reason behind this snag is because of previous ones.

The movie ends on a great note. I think that the main character learned this lesson. Sure, it isn’t the only lesson from the movie, just the one I came away with.

So, if you want to further your personal endeavors, don’t forget to see the blessings of snags. If you are trying to share Jesus with someone, don’t forget to be so focused on your goal that you put their feelings aside and do anything to accomplish your goal.

Remember the snags, they can help us too…

E-mail Encouragement: Making a Courageous Decision

Christmas is over and that means 2008 is just around the corner. Are you one who makes a resolution? Have you ever been able to keep any? Are you making any for next year? What was your favorite thing you received?

I enjoy "feel good" movies. In each "feel good" movie, there is a point at which the "hero" or "heroes" do something which turns the tide for the rest of the film. The result is the success that makes the movie identified as "feel good". Each of us live a "movie"...what will you do to turn the tide? This brings us to this week's quote...

In every success story, you find someone who has made a courageous decision. ~ Peter F. Drucker

I am greatly affected by teachers/coaches/leaders that do things to impact others. The quote holds true to most movies that fall into this category. There is a point in the movie which a character will do something that seems crazy, but in fact, is very courageous. No one has done anything like "that" before (whatever the task in the particular movie) and it makes a world of difference.

We have opportunities given to us each day, maybe each moment, to make an impact in someone else's life. Whether it is your spouse, family member, co-worker, peer, friend, or anyone else you're around.

As 2008 approaches, what will you do with the opportunities God gives you to make a "courageous decision" and create your "success" story? May you use the opportunities given to share Jesus in practical ways!

Blessings ~