I like to watch a variety of movies. Naturally, as a guy, I enjoy action movies. I liked the Jason Bourne series, and who doesn’t like a good James Bond movie? I enjoyed the Indiana Jones series, but that does go a ways back. Westerns are high on the list, especially a number of the old ones. Yes, I enjoy some science fiction movies, too.
There are some movies that I have watched numerous times. Some Christmas movies I watch every holiday season. Honestly, there are too many to mention by name in this space, and some of them might get me quite a ribbing from a few friends. I will admit that there are some rom coms on the list, but you have to remember I am married and I enjoy watching movies with my wife.
Since the beginning of this pandemic we have watched a number of movies. We watch a movie every Friday night and sometimes another one on Saturday night. If you count the weekends since this pandemic began, you will come up with quite a large number of movies we have consumed. I don’t think we are alone in our movie consumption since the pandemic began.
My wife has found many movies that weren’t blockbusters that we have really enjoyed. We both enjoy movies with quirky characters. We have also enjoyed movies that are thought-provoking. Some movies have challenged our beliefs, or at least made us consider things from a different point of view. She has introduced me to some British movies and programs that we have really enjoyed.
We have watched a number of black and white movies. There are some great ones from way back. They move slower, but we enjoy the pace. There are some old comedies and mysteries that hold up well. We both like some of the stars from back in the day. We also enjoy that the movies were less graphic in those days.
We both enjoy a great story. We have watched plenty that were based on real life. Some people have lived very hard lives and their stories offer a sense of hope. If they can walk through those trials, then I can endure the things that I face.
The Bible is filled with many of those kinds of stories. We see over and over again that people faced insurmountable odds, but with God’s help they overcame. We see people who made mistake after mistake, and God still used them to accomplish His purposes. That means that He can use someone like me to do His will, too.
I have been reading through the Psalms and I love how the psalmist calls out to God from terrible circumstances, and then God intervenes. Sometimes the palmist ends the psalm with a declaration that he will wait and trust in God, while other times God has already shown up. It seems the psalmist catches a vision of his great big God and loses sight of his terrible circumstances.
I like that the Bible tells us of David, a man after God’s own heart. David was one of the greatest kings, yet David made plenty of bad mistakes that weren’t swept under the rug. He counted the troops against God’s will and many people lost their lives because of that mistake. We all know he committed adultery, yet God used him in mighty ways. So yes, God can and wants to have people like that in His family.
I love that Peter is included among Jesus’ disciples. While Peter had great faith, he also committed many big blunders. He said and did the wrong thing it seems, more times than he said and did the right thing. Yet Peter was among Jesus’ closest men. Peter is the rock upon which the church was built. Peter walked on water and healed many in his life. Peter led the church and wrote some of the books from the Bible. Peter is a hero of the faith.
I want to encourage you to read about these and many others in your Bible who were ordinary people with ordinary faith in an extraordinary God. God is looking for someone just like you and me to be light in this dark world. He wants us to tell our stories of our journey of faith to those who don’t know of His marvelous deeds. The stories from the Bible are truly inspiring, but your story can be equally inspiring to others who are struggling. Share your story; who knows, maybe they will make a movie out of it one day.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
