Over Christmas break I watched the film The Greatest Showman in theaters.  Any fans? P.T. Barnum is an excellent example of someone with a gumption for greatness.  I had a film student open my eyes to this theme throughout the film.  Hugh Jackman’s character showed initiative, resourcefulness, and sometimes shrewdness to make it possible for his entrepreneurial dreams to come true.
“Honey, if your friends were jumping off a bridge would you jump too?” Sheepishly we mumble a no and usually go pout for a little while as our brains catch up to our hearts and we realize that our parents might maybe be a little bit right.
You will not wake up from your daydreaming with a closer relationship with God, a healthier body, a cleaner room, and a scrapbook full of adventures until you put in real action to get there.
People may not have been happy, but I felt freedom in knowing that my Savior was. Living a life modeled after Christ isn’t the norm.  It takes strength and courage to stand up against the strong cultural current.  And people aren’t going to like it.
It is not easy to have a desire placed in your heart by the One who created it and wait for Him to fulfill it. But God holds your heart. Even though it’s hard, I know I serve a great God. And I will let Him hold my heart every single day.
The old phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” is one of the biggest lies to ever penetrate our society. The wounds from the words of others have left a far more lasting impression upon my heart than the physical wounds I have received.
To surrender our lives to God, His ways must be written on top of, over, above, across our hearts. His ways are higher. His ways are better.
