Stranger Than Fiction

A friend suggested that I see the movie Stranger Than Ficton, and so I took her up on that advice, not setting my expectations too high, but happy for an excuse to enjoy a relaxing evening at home.

And I’m so glad that I did - I would highly recommend it, mostly due to the complexity of the movie. Simple, yet very deep and very true. It was one of those movies that everything pulled together so well in the end, and this last quote had me smiling like a big dork, alone in my small apartment. The way it was written, and the way it rang true to me, left me feeling very pleased with these few hours spent on my futon. For those who have either intentionally sought out this movie, or like myself, just happened to kind of stumble onto it, the following quote might sound familiar. (To be read slowly, and with a British accent):

“As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin…or a kind and loving gesture…or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort. Not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs...an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters…and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true. And, so it was, a wristwatch saved Harold Crick.”

It is so true. Now of course, it is God who saves our lives…but he allows us these little blessings in life which are really what it is all about, and what makes each day better, special, unique, joyful. This is something that I have been realizing in my own life, which is why these last few lines were so profound to me, and gave me goosebumps.

My pastor spoke recently about how we believe we are entitled to certain things. You live a Godly life, and you expect good things. For him, it is an issue with his son, who has developmental problems. This has been a huge struggle for him and his wife, and one of those things that leaves them feeling like: “We should have a normal son. We deserve normal children.” But they have also found dependence on God through this, learning what dying to yourself means. They have found trust in Him and the realization that they are not entitled to anything….and the pure joy that comes when his son accomplishes something so small. To most parents, some simple acts are normal, and not nearly as “celebrated” as when his son is able to accomplish something. And in the middle of hardship, they are able to appreciate the smallest milestones with huge gratitude and celebration, because they realize how prized that is, and that they were never deserving of it in the first place. And he followed, nearly in tears: "what better way to live?"

There have been 2 times for me which, when losing myself in fear, routine, or hopelessness, that those “accessories” were realized as the most important parts of my day. My boyfriend and I spent two-weeks apart with no communication. And it was in the absence of what I felt was normal, deserved and routine…that I was able to truly appreciate all of the subtleties that make our relationship such a treasure. The phone calls to start and end each day, enjoying music together, our frequent trips to Rubio’s, our boxing matches in my apartment, our conversations of workouts and protein that most would find crazy…the conversations about entirely inappropriate things that are somehow so funny…a hand to hold when you’re scared or worried, having someone to tell about your day, and knowing there’s someone who wants to tell you about their’s… These are my “Bavarian sugar cookies”.

And out of that break came similar revelations about God…that there are so many blessings and joys that come from simply knowing him, that we often neglect to recognize. The way he always shows himself when you really seek him out…friends he has put in my life, who turned to be more plentiful than I even realized…the support of prayer….a coffee date with someone that provides immense comfort…the joy that he can shower on you when you simply wait in his presence and cry out to him for peace…wisdom He gives, even in the strangest places…and knowing that if He never gives you any of those things, he is still good and knows what is best and loves us, and that is all that truly matters.

That same pastor said something to the effect of “it is sometimes in the valleys, the hard times when it almost feels like He’s not there... that God teaches does His greatest work, and it is almost proof that he is working as he strips away our selfishness. Without the empty, hard, unpeaceful times in life we might not ever recognize the best things in life, and never appreciate the blessings and grace that God has poured out on us. Without the valleys, can we ever really know his grace?

Just like the quote says, the anomalies don’t just accessorize our days, but they are effective for a much nobler cause. And so now I wake up thanking God for a shower, for friends to pray for, for an amazing best friend and boyfriend that I can count on… for a great bed to sleep in, for few money worries and for the joy in giving it away….for silly e-mails at work that seem like a waste of time, but truly enrich the soul…for food to enjoy…for a job that’s fun and easy, for a cell phone, for a car to drive me anywhere I want to go…for friends to talk to…for good coffee in the morning – or at night – and for the knowledge that in times of drought, we can still bear fruit and have confidence in God. (Proverbs 1).

These things are not just part of my day, they are what make my day worth living and which always turn me back to God in thanksgiving, knowing that He is what I live for, but he has chosen to bless me with all of the “nuances and anomalies” which serve for a much greater cause.