The Big Picture

My daughter (almost 2 & 1/2) has a new fascination...she loves movies. We have to limit her to 1 per day right now...only one Enchanted, Mary Poppins, Bolt, Baby Einstein or what ever the favorite of the week is. She rarely if ever makes it all the way through one but she loves to sit in her little car with her name stitched in it and watch a movie. Her idea of a movie is one on the 13 inch TV that is in her room.

So a couple of weeks ago with the release of the new animated movie "Up", Megan and I decided to take here to here first movie theater experience. We told her that we were going to go see a big movie. She kept saying "big movie?", and we'd have to reiterate...yes we're going to see a big movie. So we got to movie theater bought our tickets then went to go get some dinner. When we came back we gave our ticket and started heading in. I asked her if she wanted to hold her ticket, she said yes and took it into her hand.

We walked around the corner and her head and eyes began to look up and up and up at the big screen. She just stared at it. We found some seats and we put her between us in her own seat...it quickly started to fold up on her 23lb petite frame, so I went & found a booster seat. Megan offered her a cookie, which she held in one hand ticket still grasped in the other staring at the previews on the big screen.

Then the previews started and she was glued. "Up" has a short film at the beginning that had thunder and lightning...she jumped a couple of times but was still glued to the big screen. She sat and watched the entire movie, switching seats a couple of times between Megan's lap, her seat, and my lap. It was awesome!

Something interesting happens at the end of Luke:

²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"(Luke 24:28-32)

These disciples had been with Jesus over 3 years. They knew him better than anyone, and yet they didn't recognize him until they communed with him and their eyes were open. I think we are much this way. Sometimes this happens with our view of God. We see God and we know that he is wonderful and we enjoy him. We sit in our nice comfortable chair with our name on it (or maybe pew) and watch the movie. We enjoy it and we come back for more but that is about the extent of it.

At some point we traded in the awe and majesty of our Lord for something that falls far short of who he is. We know that he is a big God...but somehow we see him in the box that we are used to. So what does God need to open your eyes to? What have you allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal to you lately. How has Jesus' words so penetrated your hear that you were moved to action?

Is your view of God big...or has it been reduced to what you know?