Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Time to go deep, I was just inspired by a movie called "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" about a little boy with a key. The entire movie he spends searching for the lock, searching and searching knowing that in the end he will certainly find the answers. His emotions rocket then hit rock bottom, he faces his fears, he feels like a failure, he questions, he doubts, he cries and yells and screams, he laughs and smiles and spins around, he meets people from all walks of life on his journey....all the while he misses his Dad, but knows he is with him. He keeps trying and trying to keep his Dad alive by searching for clues and answers only to hit dead ends over and over again.

Ultimately, he finds where the lock fits, but it was not what he wanted to find. What he found was not what he had been searching for for so long. He sits on a swing and begins to see things more clearly...The real treasure was not the "treasure" at all, the treasure came through his experiences. He begins to realize how proud of him his Dad is for conquering his many fears: he walked on bridges, he rode the trains, he ate something without clean hands, he talked to old people and even listened to people yell and people cry. The movie ends with this little boys face pointed to the sky, he finally knew...the treasure was not something he could hold on to, he had to let it go to find it. The treasure was in the experience of seeking and finding little bits and pieces along the way.

I think we are all chasing after something we are certain is the answer to all the missing pieces of our lives. We are all pursing people or things or careers or opportunities that we are sure will bring us the happiness and true joy we need to feel complete. None of us know where to look, but we keep searching. One day we will all look back and realize the real meaning of "seek and you will find." Not you "might" find, but you WILL find.

So tonight, may hope and joy fill your heart. May you be encouraged to pursue what you love and what you hope for because you never know what He has in store beneath it all. Remember how much bigger he is than the little highs and lows, He created the sky and gravity which gives us the concept of high and low. Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. The Lord is waiting to provide His will for you, you must trust him.

Martin Luther

To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing because the sin underneath all sins is the lie that we cannot trust the love and grace of Jesus and that we must take matters into our own hands.

1 Peter 5

Humble yourself before the Lord. This shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, he is God and King, Lord of all. He is the Creator. You belong to him. The creature is the possession of the Creator. Humble yourself before your King. And here is one way to express this new-found posture of humility: cast your cares on him. Did you catch that? When you come humbly before the King he reveals his unlimited love. Who would have thought? He actually wants you to cast your burden on him. You were never intended to carry those burdens alone. He is the mighty God who never leaves. You can trust him. And this casting is no mere act of your will. It comes as you know that he is God and you are not. Oh, and you can be sure that he will lift you up from your kneeling position and give you more than you ever expected.
-Ed Welch

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I’ll tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.