Wisdom Couched In Silliness and Humor

It seems like I'm watching a lot of movies these days (I am on vacation!) but yesterday my husband gave me a Mother's Day gift--He selected a movie specifically for me for us to watch--Evan Almighty. Even though it was about as silly as you can get I love Morgan Freeman who played God. Plus, there were some words of wisdom couched in between all the humor and silliness.

In one scene "God" gives Evan Baxter's wife the following counsel: "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage does God give him courage or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?"

In another scene "God" asks Evan Baxter: "How do we change the world?" and Evan Baxter answers correctly when he says, "One single act of random kindness at a time" Learning this insight was especially pertinent and significant to Evan Baxter, a Buffalo newscaster who had been elected to Congress on the slogan, "Change the World." The first night he was in Washington Baxter prayed asking God to help him change the world. God heard Baxter and answered his prayer but in an unconventional way that Baxter hadn't expected. Baxter had had an optimistic zeal to change the world through the political system. Yet, the political system has its limitations because often personal agendas or even corruption gets in the way. God knew and Baxter learned that relying only on politicians to solve the world's problems wouldn't be sufficient.

Baxter comes to realize that God has called him to do a work. He exercises faith in that calling even when he others mock him and accuse of him of being crazy. Even for a short time his family leaves him not understanding what is going on with him.

Baxter's faith is also to be admired when taking into account that God hadn't given him a detailed blueprint on how to accomplish what he is being asked to do. At best he was only armed with a sketchy understanding of God's plans. Yet, God reassures Baxter telling him, "Whatever I do, I do because I love you." That love and Baxter's faith are tested when even after the ark is built and the community is ready to dismantle it, no flood comes. Baxter looks up to the sunny sky and expresses his frustration saying to God, "Is it too much to ask for a LITTLE PRECIPITATION?" God answers the prayer with a little precipitation but still no flood.

What Baxter didn't know, but God did, was the flood wasn't going to come because of rain but because of a break in a dam. Baxter learned that God has his own reasons for asking us to do certain things. Therefore, we only need to follow his directions and then leave the outcomes and timing up to him.

Not only did Baxter learn that God had chosen him for a work, but as he told a reporter, "He chose all of us." In other words, each of us has a work to do that we can fulfill if we'll pray to be a change agent, listen to the answer that may be unconventional, and continue to follow the instructions in the answer even if we can't see any results and/or others are mocking or chiding us.