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| You know you are a closet Garth Brooks Fan. |
It was cool. Lots of cameras. Guys yelling things at people. And repetition. Lots of repetition.We were filming a football scene. 5 plays took 7 hours to film. But it was still exciting to be a part of something bigger than my everyday life. During filming my mother-in-law and I were even moved down to the field to be filmed next to the action. We were definitely going to be on camera. In fact one of the production assistants came to move us a couple of feet to the side because we were blocking the person who was to be in the shot. WE ARE DEFINITELY going to be on screen. Get ready Hollywood, here we come!
Last night my big premiere was on tv. My big scene was in the first 3 minutes. They started showing the first clip that we filmed. It was the one where we were on the sideline. The one where we were sure to be on screen. It was the BIG GAME.
Turns out it wasn't as big as we thought. In fact in the real movie, the football game was being played on a TV making that much more difficult to see us. The whole scene lasted 15 seconds. The part where I could have been on TV: 15 milliseconds. The truth was that I wasn't there at all. In fact I think that I was a couple of feet to the side of the shot. The exact distance the production assistant moved me.
So I didn't make it to TV. But I was still there and I still contributed. I took part and it was exciting and fun. I even got Bojangles out of it. It was worth it.
Life is a lot like that. We have the opportunity to take part in what God is doing on earth. Really. God wants us to take part in His purposes here. Does that seem weird to you? The creator of the universe can do anything. He can speak the universe into existence yet He still wants us to be a part of it. That's crazy.
I sometimes dream of what it would be like to make it big. To be well known. To have people almost pee their pants when they meet me. (I should tell you about the time I met Francis Chan) But it's likely that I won't be super rich and famous. There's a chance that in the history of the world I won't even have 15 milliseconds of fame.
And I'm ok with that.
You see the cool thing about following God is that even doing little, uneventful, non-famous things can make a huge difference in eternity. Following God is so ridiculously fulfilling that I don't need fame or money. Sometimes wish I had better words to explain it to people. Serving God is fulfilling in a way that can't be described.
Jesus said that following Him will make our joy complete.
I will gladly trade my 15 milliseconds of fame on earth for an eternity with God. At least in heaven there won't be Lifetime movies or theologically shady Garth Brooks songs.
jon
my dad had a similar experience. he was an extra for necessary roughness (also a football movie) and was a 15 millisecond-er as well. if you pause, tilt your head and squint your eyes, you can see him jumping for joy. at least he got to hear some free sinbad stand-up out of it.
ReplyDeleteit's great to be an extra for God. :)
also, good to see you writing more regularly. i have more reasons to include you in my blog sidebar. lol.
Haha, yeah it is good to be an extra for God.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to write more regularly. I'll have something on Tuesdays and Fridays at minimum if it's a normal week. Thanks for including me in your list! I'm adding yours to my reader so I can keep tabs on what you've been up to!
i feel special. it's cool to keep up with people who you've worked with in ministry.
ReplyDeleteI love feeling little! After I watched Indescribable for the second time, I realized that I am a little speck in a huge universe and an even tinier speck on time. I don't know why, but that fills me with such joy! Whenever I think about how tiny I am, I can't help but smile because I know God can do HUGE things through me and that I'm just the right size for myself and for Him.
ReplyDeleteGotta love those lifetime movies, huh Jon? (:
ugh Lifetime movies are terrible. I love your comment though,
ReplyDelete"Whenever I think about how tiny I am, I can't help but smile because I know God can do HUGE things through me and that I'm just the right size for myself and for Him."
great words. I love it!
That's an amazing analogy. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDelete-Benjer
In MY Heaven, there are Lifetime movies every Sunday night. :P
ReplyDeleteI wondered if you had made it in the movie. I forgot to watch it. [Bad, bad friend.]
What is always amazing to me when I think abt my (in)significance in the grand scheme of things is that I'm still unique. I'm a whole lot like millions of other people, but not the same. That's love. How easy it would be for God to start repeating Himself every few hundred thousand people, right? Who would know but Him? Separate them by an ocean and a social caste, and bam! Work's done.
But He doesn't do that. Never has. Never will. He is willing to take the time to create every. single. person with a unique personality, a special soul, free will. That's love.
LeeAndra
It's funny that if Heaven and Hell were personalized, your Heaven would have Lifetime movies. My hell would have them. Praise God that it doesn't work that way!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean though. I rarely think that God not only knows every single part of me, but that He created me that way for His glory. I have to be honest. I haven't yet figured out how chubbiness and acne glorified God during my teenage years but it somehow did.
jon