Do lyrics from songs or lines from movies ever inhabit your thoughts? Become part of your own thought processes? It does to me. And to me this shows once again the power of story in our lives (no wonder Jesus spoke in stories to people). Anyway, this will be a rambling post (as you already can tell) because that is how I am thinking this morning.
One of my favorite movies is Moulin Rouge. I will be the first to admit it's a bit risque in some of the talk and in some of the jokes and in some of the music and in one scene in particular Nicole Kidman pretends to be passionately drawn (usin big motions and big noises) to the duke to hide the man she just fell in love with much to her amazement. I kind of zip through a few moments in that scene but most of the scene is funny because the music in the entire show is absolutely great! Anyway, the beginning of the song sung by the duke is an Elton John song. The duke sings, "It's a little bit funny this feeling inside." He's singing it because he kind of knows he's being duped but he wants the girl so bad he's willing to go along with the charade.
I hear him sing that line because that is how I am feeling right now -- a little bit funny inside. Strange really. I showed our house (we're selling it) to a sweet couple last night and will show it a couple of times today. I don't mind people coming over but when they are here to see the house they aren't visitors. They are viewers and it makes me feel very strange.
Selling a home is a weird business because the home means so much to the family. This home we live in has been our home for 9+ years and there are so many memories in it. When a stranger walks in and examines it it just is so strange. A very uncomfortable feeling.
Sarah Young's story gives me hope. She's an international best selling author with her devotionals and she has never played the publicity game everyone in the world (including the Christian publishing realm) says you have to play to be successful. What I get out of her story is that God does things His way and if we plug into Him and rest in Him He will work through our lives and we can confidently do things His way. Sometimes His way may look similar to the world's way but not always. Common sense societal wisdom often is contrary to what God tells us to do. Common sense societal wisdom says we have to do certain things financially and other ways to survive in this world.
God doesn't say this. God often, I mean very often, does things in outlandish ways that shouldn't work, but because He is God and He sees all and knows all and loves, loves, loves (and because He is total Courage, Total Love, Total Compassion, Total Incredibleness!) things works out just as He planned.
And one of the amazing things is that we can veer off His path and make some huge mistakes, but if we come to God and give Him everything, even those huge mistakes, He can use it all in such a way that our mistakes seamlessly work in His plan. He will take those mistakes and redeem them to be used for His glory, for His story, for His purposes (if we let Him).
So, here's to being human. Here's to being full of weaknesses and faults and full of Jesus! He's got this.
Oh, boy, let me tell you -- my kids and I were watching America's Got Talent last night and there was a little girl who sang and tapdanced. She was amazing! One of the judges mentioned to her she reminded him of Shirley Temple. He told her she must have Shirley Temple living somewhere inside her. She responded, "Not Shirley Temple. Jesus!"
I'll post it below. You gotta watch it. What an adorable young lady!