Is It Monday Already?

My husband and I went to see “The Guardian” this weekend. We had seen several previews and it looked incredible. What the preview doesn’t offer and what was included as a bonus is a love story. You can hardly beat a movie with action and adventure for the man in your life and true love and poignant moments for the women!

I don’t want to spoil it for you but I will say if you’ve seen “An Officer and a Gentleman”, or “Top Gun”, you’ve probably seen this movie. Sure the actors are different and the story is a bit different, but it’s pretty much the same movie…I still loved it. I had no idea what the Coast Guard even did until seeing this movie.

There is this wonderful scene where a ‘mature’ woman lectures Kevin Costner’s character about aging. What she said really ministered to me too. I don’t remember all of what she said but I do remember the gist…which was if you have physical pain it means you’ve lived your life. Another seed of wisdom came from teacher to student when Costner’s character lectures Kutcher’s character to use all the gifts God gave Him to save lives instead of focusing on his lack.

Throughout the movie Kutcher’s character is trying to ‘outdo’ Costner’s incredible records in the Coast Guard and asks over and over again how many ‘saves’ Costner had. When Costner tells him “22”, Kutcher seems perplexed and puzzled. Costner then tells him… ‘That’s how many I lost. I only counted the ones I lost because they’re the only ones that matter in the end.’

I sat there with tears streaming down my face and at that moment I was reminded no matter what our vocation, our goal is to use ALL the gifts God gave us to SAVE lives and that the only “records” that matter are the lives lost because we didn’t share Christ with them or live the life Christ has called us to live…FULLY!

I’m not trying to lecture you, but I DO hope I have reminded all of us that God puts people in our path, whether we work outside the home or inside the home. God puts people in our path through these (too numerous to count) blogs, through friendships, through co-workers, co-educators, grocery stores, restaurants, video store clerks, holiday events, even through church sometimes. He does it for a reason, don’t ever doubt that. Some are here for a short time (even moments sometimes) and others are here for a lifetime. However long I have, I am reminded that my words, my actions, my LIFE are a witness.

Ultimately I was reminded the only ones that really matter…eternally…are the ones I lost! I will be accounting for those losses one day…the ones God brought to me and I ignored or worse yet…I led astray. I think about Jesus lecturing the Pharisees about the souls they had lost to God through their own misconceptions and legalistic teachings. It was bad enough that they themselves were lost…but they had also lost others. YIKES!

In other news: This is the week I am off work because I had too much leave and was going to lose it…I don’t think so! This morning I am preparing to spend the day with one of my best friends who I don’t see near often enough! She is just a younger version of me…so you know she’s fun, wise and very, very sweet! I can hardly wait. While preparing for that visit, I am watching GMA and there is this new product for all your mommies (or wives).

There is a hand washing product, ‘squid soap’ and it squirts the soap on your hand with an ink like product that will not wash off until the person has washed their hands for 15 seconds (which is how long it takes to kill those germs according to the AMA). So cool!

The President is also speaking about the North Korean nuclear arms testing they did this past week. I don’t think it’s going to be a very ‘happy talk’, but probably very necessary. It looks like we are in a time of war, not unlike every other generation, just a bit more global during this generation. I am troubled by the mentality that has led ‘man’ to develop a weapon of mass destruction, so troubled I don’t even have words.

I guess that’s everything you could possibly expect from a stay-at-home-vacationing blogger for a MONDAY! Now go…wash your hands…and think about going to see “The Guardian” and as always PRAY for our nation and our World Leaders!