Journey School

Blogland is great. You risk renting certain movies now because you admire and trust the bloggers who wrote good reviews about them.

Such was the case with The Village. Lots of Christian bloggers recommended that movie, so although Tom and I watch so few horror movies (sooo fewwww), we decided to risk it.

While Tom picked up the movie (and lunch) for us, I did the usual we're-gonna-watch-a-movie routine. I pulled all the dark curtains in our sunroom closed. Put the two window-sized cardboard pieces into the bright windows over the fireplace. (Sunny windows are lovely and I do hate to cover them. But we hate window glare on the tv screen worse.) And then I got out Tom's little old TV tray--the fold-up kind. He likes that thing. Got out my afghan, too, in case I got cold.

And that is our we're-gonna-watch-a-movie ritual.

And then we watched The Village. We loved it. Both of us were thankful that Blogland had encouraged me to mention The Village to Tom. The movie reminded us of the lessons Fear teaches. And Intolerance. We were reminded about Human Nature. And about what to do and what not to do, too.

But then once you really, really give your life to God, you enter what I call Journey School. That's a place where it seems God uses EVERYTHING to teach you things He wants you to know. He opens your eyes and ears. He even gives you a couple of new, hidden sets of eyes and ears. Really! Suddenly you are hearing and seeing spiritual truths everywhere, even while...

...watching movies and tv shows...
...shopping in supermarkets...
...reading books...
...driving your car...
...standing in crowds...
...standing in line...
...taking a walk...

Everywhere, you begin learning important lessons. Lessons which explain God a little better, and Life, too. Lessons which tell you what to do and what not to do. Lessons which make the Bible come alive every time you take a step.

For me, Journey School didn't begn until around ten years ago. I only got admitted into its halls when I wanted God's way of thinking more than my own. When I stopped insisting I had everything figured out and there was nothing new under the sun for me. When I got humble enough to let go of some wrong thinking. Only then, did I get into Journey School.

You don't get weekends off in Journey School. But then, you don't want to get them off.

I'm looking forward to graduation. The ceremony promises to be Heavenly.

***P.S. I very much liked this review about The Village. And a different reviewer mentioned something like this---many people are getting too caught up in the twists/the lack of twists--and so the lessons of the film are going right over their heads. (That is my paraphrase. And after reading negative reviews, that's my opinion, too. It's so not just about the twists! To me, it was like watching a sermon on fear.)