The Gullible Amongst Us

When Tom and I saw the previews for the movie, The Guardian, we both thought, "Oh! We'll have to see that when it comes out. And it's definitely a big screen movie, too." (Meaning, if we waited till it came out on dvd, it wouldn't be nearly as spectacular.)

But then last Saturday I saw a movie reviewer on tv who said The Guardian was cheesy. That Ashton Kutcher made it cheesy. And bad. That it wasn't worth seeing.

And for two seconds I was almost persuaded not to see it. That reviewer almost spoiled my weeks-long anticipation.

But days later, Tom and I  sat in a darkened theater in great anticipation of this film. As in-- phooey on that reviewer. We'd show him. We'd watch it anyway. So there.

And we loved the movie. Loved it!

Ashton Kutcher even did a good job. And so ok, he's no Sir Anthony Hopkins. But give the kid a break--he's growing as an actor and this movie gave him room to branch out from comedy. (Maybe I have a soft spot in my heart for Ashton because he looks so much like our daughter's boyfriend. Who knows?)

Anyway, we came away from The Guardian with a new respect for the U.S. Coast Guard. There are no words. 

This whole thing with that movie reviewer got me to thinking about something else. How often have we avoided a Christian teacher's tv program or books or seminars just because someone told us, "Aww, you don't want to listen to him/her! He/she believes/doesn't believe this or that. And I heard that he/she did that or that. And I don't like it when he/she does this or that or when he/she wears this or that and he/she is from this or that denomination..." 

Blah, blah, blah.

There comes a time to grow-up. To stop being guided by the naysayers or by fear that our little ears might just hear something new and different. There arrives a day, a year, to listen (or read) for ourselves and decide for ourselves (of course, letting God guide those decisions).

If I had listened to all the naysayers who so brutally attack my favorite Christian teacher, oh my. I cannot even begin to tell you what I would have missed. God has used her numerous times these past 12 years to teach me things which have walked me out of bondage and into freedom. (And some of that bondage has been 'religious bondage'.)

Oh,, may I always choose to be led by God and not by all the negative, fearful, religious-sounding critics who sit at their computers or upon their couches making certain we travel no further than they have. 

(That sounds harsh, I know. Deal with it.)

And there comes a time to be led by God, not the fearful folks, and to make God-ordained decisions.

That's what grown-ups do.


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