I recently caught a movie on Netflix, at a friends request.  I was told that there was depth and hidden meaning in there that I may appreciate.  Well my friend was right.  The movie?  The Island starring Obi-Wan Kenobi, I mean, Ewan McGregor.

Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor) is a resident of a seemingly Utopian but repressive facility in the year 2019. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to to win the “Lottery” and go to the "The Island" - reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet.   Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and all of the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones, generated to provide replacement organs to the owners of an insurance policy.  Lincoln makes a daring escape with a fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta. and are relentlessly pursued by the forces of the sinister Institute that once housed them. Lincoln and Jordan engage in a race for their lives to literally meet their makers and pull the curtain down on this charade.

Wow, there is so much to say, but I am going to leave it to linger until the next post.

I hit upon something recently that really rattled my cage.  I am a man of dreams and vision, of things I want to do to further the kingdom of God on this earth.  However, I find that I cannot pull the trigger.  For whatever specific reason or list of reasons, I hesitate, I over-analyze, I talk myself out it, and end up doing little to nothing.  Ironically, I am not this way in my career as I can be quite driven and goal-oriented.  So what gives?

My journey started with a Scripture in the Apostle Pau’s letter to the church in Thessalonica (modern day Greece). 

…we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something.  

My “good ideas”?  Really, can all those dreams, desires, passions really be of value to God?  I have not been so sure.  Many times the words of the Prophet Jeremiah nailed such desires to the wall. 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

To compound it, throughout much of my life in the church I have been taught to not “miss God”.  That it is best to be in God’s “perfect will” as opposed to His “permissive will”.  I understand the sentiment but I discovered that in my lack of confidence in knowing God’s “perfect" will” I was left me paralyzed.  Afraid to take action.  I was stuck.

Anyone who struggles with their desires should read the book by John Eldredge titled appropriately, Desire.  It served as the trigger by which the Spirit opened up this place in my heart.

Why does Paul pray for our ideas to be energized by God’s own energy? 

…so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am now taking small steps in a number of areas to bring some of these many dreams, desires, and passions into existence.