The entertainment industry makes a copious amount of money every year with movies and TV shows based around the idea of ironic luck and awkwardness.
The Office.
Arrested Development.
Dinner for Schmucks
Due Date
Every Wes Anderson film
I could keep going, because to me it seems that being awkward and having ironic things happen to you is trendy.
Cool. That is me. Everyday.
When did this trend start?
In the 50's everything always went perfect in the movies. And in the 90's. (I'm skipping the 60's-80's because the obvious themes of anarchy and rebellion don't fit into my illustration today..perhaps another blog)
The character always will win that race, get that girl, score the perfect job. I mean can you even think of an episode of Full House where Bob Saget said the wrong thing? Nope. Everything was peachy keen all the time.
So I must say that I do appreciate that media now is more sympathetic towards the folks who maybe don't always say the right thing, or are awkward instead of suave. Who spill not one, but two of their three meals on themselves in one day. (...yep.)
I used to always say "that'd be my luck" in situations where something bad would happen.
But that is not entirely fair. I don't have bad luck, in fact I feel very lucky and blessed with what I have.
I do however have ironic luck. Things just happen to me (and my family) that is just weird. Ironic and strange. This most occurs when we try to do something normal, like go to church.
I build up these expectations in my mind of something is going to go down.
I should stop doing this.
I am always wrong.
This past New Year's Eve was one of those.
There was a worship service about an hour from me, so Ellysa & I decided to trundle over and spend the New Year in worship. We ended up not getting there till about 11:50 pm, almost mid-night.
Problem, the building looks empty. There are like 4 cars, no lights no sound. It appeared that no one was there.
This was disappointment number one.
With our plans thwarted, we decided to go back on the highway and watch the ball drop at midnight. On the way right off the highway, we saw a giant ball, covered in lights hanging from a crane. So as lame as that seemed it was a better option then spending midnight in the car being cranky.
So we drove back to where we saw it, and it was gone.
Disappointment number two. (how could they move a whole crane and giant ball so quickly??)
Our vain search for the ball led us down town. This was now 11:58 pm.
We saw large crowd in some grass so we decided to park and check it out.
So I pulled into the first space we could find.
As it turns out they were standing around for fireworks. It was now midnight. We knew there were fireworks happening not because we could see them, but we could could hear.
We couldn't see them because I had parked in front of the only building down town that was directly in front of the fireworks.
Disappointment number three.
When I teach my classes, I always create an example. I find it helpful to have a visual/physical thing to look at and say "ah, thats what I'm supposed to be doing." God likes this strategy also.
Growing up in a charismatic church was awesome, but had some faults. One thing I am learning to work through these days is the idea of grand, emotional em "super spiritual" experiences. These are pretty nice yes?
They are. But thing is, they can become about the emotions, the feelings you get from it, the experience rather then the Lord.
Maybe this is me only? I wanted to go to that worship thing not really to connect with the Lord, but to feel encouraged and ministered to by other people.
Ok. Let me splain.
A) I don't think its wrong to want encouragement from other Christians, that's where it should come from above all else
B) We can connect with God anywhere, it doesn't have to be some extreme meeting or fancy setup.
I think what I was doing though was placing my expectations in people or the situation rather then in the Lord. This whole past year has been a challenge, and I have been seeing a whole other side to Christianity.
Rather then having prophetic dreams all the time, or visions or deep emotional times of worship, its been more simple. (refer to my star/shooting star analogy) This used to make me feel like I was doing something wrong.
I don't feel this so much any more. Life is full of seasons and some seasons are quieter then others.
Perhaps you do the most growing in these quiet seasons?
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
We cannot do anything to be more then what we are without God doing it through us. So when we feel less spiritual, how can that even be true when God is working through us? These quiet times are His hand too.
I'm slow with learning things so I'm glad for these lessons.
Though I do think if I could turn my life into a reality show and financially benefit too that would be good.
