Vantage Point

God's plans for our lives is much like the movie 'Vantage Point'. The complete story will not come together until the final climax to see how the all the puzzle pieces fit together.

If you've not seen the film, it is highly recommended. The blogger just saw the allegory and decided to use it.

The main character, the secret service agent or the child of God.

The event, a summit with all the nations of the world. Any major cross road of a Christian's life.

All the other story lines filling in the details - all the people whose lives the Christian meets.

The final climax, the return of Christ and the rewards in heaven. Plus, finally understanding whose lives were touched, who made it to heaven because of it and the rewards handed out.

God's final secret revealed in all those seemingly meaningless interchanges, or dead end jobs, or ended relationships, friendships, deaths....

Quite a vantage point our heavenly Father has, huh?

Fear and Adoption

Several years ago,  a local church took the verse telling them to care for orphans to heart. They got in contact with the appropriate sources and educated people on the adoption process. Before they even completed the initial training, children in the system began calling their social workers and asking to be placed with these families.

Really makes one wonder why Americans keep saying it is difficult to adopt in the states. There are many children available and who need a home. Yet, many keep going outside the US to find children.

Maybe the real problem is that the social services systems has a stigma against it. Everyone seems to think that the children in foster homes are all 'damaged goods'. Yet, who knows how they could bloom if parents would take them in and love them.

There are too many instances of children who are raised by their own parents, who were loved, and well cared for, yet despite being a biological child, he/she became an unmanageable monster.

Really? And potential parents are afraid of children being cared for by social services?

Appearances Vs Heart

It is interesting that the Bible continually says that God looks at the heart - not outward appearance. Yet, American society worships youth and beauty and have turned both into something very ugly.

Older Americans are thrown to the wayside and employers will only look at them for commission sales jobs and low paying service positions.

Inexperienced young people are placed in good paying jobs and promoted over older workers.

Ugly women are made fun of - even if their hearts are golden.

Men chase young things and the very rich have 'trophy' wives who are often selfish and only concerned with 'how' they look. When they loose their appeal, the wife is cast aside and replaced with yet another 'young' thing.

Most romance novels feature younger characters in their twenties and thirties.

Most movies and TV shows feature youthful and attractive actors.

Oddly enough, one of the most successful TV shows, Murder She Wrote, starred an older actress and featured many of the oldie stars.

With an aging population, it seems odd that the emphasis is allowed to stay on the young. The older generation has learned much and many still believe in God. Their knowledge should be shared, not tossed aside like an oily rag.

Good thing God does look at the heart and not the outside. How many of us wouldn't make the grade?

A great example of this is in the New Testament, when the pharisee made a huge example of his extravagant prayer and exhibition, while the true sinner when quietly to God and confessed his sin.

Which one did Christ say was the truth? The one who quietly went to God.

America has a lot to learn by this example.

 

Dark Times

All of us have dark times in our lives. We question God and wonder what in the world He's doing. Or why he's putting us through these circumstances. Or we scream, if You really loved me, You wouldn't do this to me!

Yet the Bible tells us that we will go through hard times. That we should rejoice and praise God in those dark times.

Easier said then done because our human nature likes it best when things are going well for us and we don't have to worry about anything.

Life is hard and at times, very messy.

Still, we through our sorrow, or angry or anguish, we still need to praise God. It will carry us through no matter how illogical it seems.