Lessons I learned from taking my 2-year-old son to the movies.
We went to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend at 3:00 thinking it wouldn’t be busy. Turns out everyone had the same idea lol. This was the first time we took Jefferson to the movies & had confidence that he would sit through the entire thing as long as he had ample popcorn & sweet snacks. & We were right! He did awesome & had so much fun! But I want to share what my two-year-old son taught me that day.
The place was PACKED! The lines were long & moving slow. My sweet two-year-old son took the opportunity to meet new people. He walked up to the many impatient people around us, greeting them as if he had run into an old friend. I started to get a little embarrassed & nudged Tyler to get him to stop, as I noticed others were getting annoyed with my son. Everyone was on a mission to get their tickets & snacks before their movie started. The lines were stagnant & showtime was drawing near. To be honest, I too was getting anxious & grumpy (hints why I snarled at my husband & insisted he stop our son from simply saying hi to people!?)
Surely you know what I’m talking about…we are so focused on what we are wanting to accomplish that we close off our minds to our surroundings, our now. Everyone around me had their attention fixed on the checkout counter, anxiously watching the customers at the front, wondering what was taking so long & growing impatient. My curious toddler’s greeting was not helping them get to their movie any faster.
I am like these people I witnessed at the theater every. day. My two-year-old was like God trying to get my attention as I obsess on what I want in front of me, ignoring His greetings on a daily basis.
I am even sometimes annoyed when God keeps on “waving his hands at me” as I want to go after what I want instead. If only I would take my eyes off the “checkout counter” to encounter God, who is ready to have a conversation with me, a relationship with me.
Nbhjhfr,.,lgbfv,bgvl,vl,gbf,;./vc./,.,,,.,b//b/b/b////////////////bb .?:”mn, n.
I left my laptop open for a SECOND to attend to my one-year-old daughter & came back to Jefferson typing (above), it feels fitting to leave his “sentence” since he is part of this post lol.
So, like I said earlier, the theater was packed! By the time we got all our movie watching essentials, it was showtime! We walked in just as the movie was starting! The theater entrance was designed so that no light could get in from the hallway, sort of zigzagged for lack of a better word. I walked ahead of my husband & son to find a seat.
My son squealed in fear, not wanting to go forward into darkness. I turned & could now see them at the top of the stairs thanks to the movie screen light. I watched as my husband held him close, whispering words of encouragement into his ear. Jefferson smiled & nodded his head yes & they came to take their seat next to me. Jefferson, now smiling ear to ear, watched the movie in amazement as he shoveled popcorn & candy to his mouth.
Oh, how often I have felt this way. Fearful of what lies ahead, seeing only darkness. God holding me close, whispering truth & encouragement to me & then seeing amazing things in/through that darkness.
The movie that day was so bright & vivid. I was thinking how bland it would look with the lights on, it wouldn’t have been as magnificent or eye catching. I feel the same applies to my real life. I believe God can do amazing things in our darkness because His light is so vivid it casts out all darkness. Our eyes only see Him.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5
In my life I have experienced God in this way. He uses my darkness (challenges, trials, fears etc.) to further direct me to Him, the true light.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1: 2-4
3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5: 3-5
We all are faced with darkness in some shape or form, for this is a fallen sinful world we live in. None of us are exempt from pain & trials. But remember, it is all only temporary.
let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
