The movie was rather encouraging, which was unexpected, since I've seen the movie so many times now. But God can use anything to reach us when we are listening for His voice. There were a couple things that really stood out, but I'm just going to talk about two of them here. First, the title. "Finding Nemo" is actually a statement. It means to find nothing. Nemo is a compound of the Latin phrase ne hemo meaning "no man." So, to find nemo is to find nothing. And that's what I've found...at the end of myself.
Its always easier to give up when you have no strength left. When you come to the end of yourself, you find nothing. There is nothing left of yourself. But God...He's right there, ready to give you everything. You just have to "give up" your life and do things God's way. Psalms 37:4 says,
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will you the desires of your heartThe word delight here is rather confusing. Because the Hebrew word implies softness or willingness. Like how you love someone so much that you are soft to what they say and want to do. So really, the verse is saying something more like,
Love the Lord and be soft to what He says, and He will give you the desires of your heart.These desires are in your heart which means that sometimes, you don't even know what they are. But when God reveals them to you, you realize just how true it is and how much you want that desire to be filled. I know that this is true in my own life. It's only been 2 months, but God has revealed my heart's desires by bringing Karis into my life. My heart desires to love her, care for her, protect her, serve her, to help her be all that she can be and cause her to glorify God in every area of her life. And so, it was that in finding nothing in myself, I found everything in God...and He brought me Karis.
The second thing that stuck out was the consistent element of trust that is built on in the story, finally climaxing with Marlin trusting his son, Nemo, to save Dory and the rest of the fish. In a way, the scene is very similar to one I've seen in my own life. Except that instead of having a discussion between a father and son, it was a discussion between the Spirit and my flesh.
In the movie Marlin says, "You think you can do these things, but you just can't!" Nemo responds, "Dad, you have to trust me." Marlin remembers all the times in the movie where he caused pain because he didn't trust someone, and finally relents, "You're right. You can do this Nemo."
In my own life, I feel like God has called me to marry Karis. Actually, I'm sure He has. (Don't freak out, she knows this already ;) But despite being sure, sometime ago I had felt as if I wouldn't be able to be the husband she needed me to be. It was then that my flesh said, "You think you can do this but you just can't!" God replied saying, "Son, you have to trust me." I remember all the pain that my own mistakes had caused me, times when I hadn't trusted God. So I finally found "Nemo," and gave up. "You're right, I can do this. Because of You."
It's still a battle to trust God in everything, but I know what's down the road, and the joy I'll find knowing that I trusted Him from here to there. And so I continue walking forward, trusting God to guide my steps, to direct my path, and to give me the strength to protect the girl walking beside me. She's not mine yet...but I plan to grow to be as much like Christ as I can before she is :)
Son, you bless me! I'm shedding joyful tears to store in my bottle in heaven. I, too, have had those same thoughts of "you think you can do this but you just can't". Oh! The many reasons you (your flesh) or Satan can have for stopping and not laying down yourself in order for God to work through you to accomplish His goodness. It sounds like foolishness to the flesh but it is indeed life to walk in the spirit. When I knew God called me to home school you, I had many such thoughts as "your children will never understand grace", "how can you teach what you don't know?", "you don't even have the money to purchase the books needed to teach". As always quoting and standing on God's Word and doing His will brings the greatest joy. The most colorful verse Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I can't but He can...John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease".
ReplyDeleteAt this moment, I cannot begin to tell you how truly joyful I am for following after His still small voice and not the clanging sounds trying to down Him out.
Amazingly, there is more when we lay ourselves down. Jesus sure knows about that!!!
Thanks son for following hard after Him! You bring me great joy! I know you are blessing to all those around you ... continue in Him...
Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.