WHY LONG MOVIE BREAKS MIGHT BE BAD FOR YOU…

So I had to pause the movie I’m watching to type this…

Ever gone through this emotional roller coaster when watching a movie; that moment when you get to the portion of the film where it’s quite obvious something bad is about to happen – something that will turn the entire movie upside down – an imminent bad scene which is most likely critical for the plot of the movie? Something that an intensively intensive watcher like me would probably wanna skip altogether but you can’t because that’s probably the whole point of the movie??

Well, I’ve gone through such motions a countless times: most days, I simply stop the movie to continue another day or never; other times, I pause the movie, for a while, right at the build up towards the bad event just so I can regain my composure. There are times when I even walk around with the aim of psyching myself to be courageous enough to sit back down and brave through. It’s never easy watching calamity befall people even when you know it’s not real. I happen to have gone through another today and whilst walking around to recompose myself, I experienced this eureka moment…

Sometimes, we have to go through the worst for our story to make sense.

You see, many of us, in the trajectory of our lives must get to certain heights to accomplish certain feats. On our way there, however, sometimes we can perceive or anticipate very tumultuous and heart-wrenching experiences right ahead – ones, if left to our own devices, we probably might wanna skip and just figure a way round. Experiences which can be so terrible yet crucial for our next stage. Many at times, at this juncture, many of us stop and let go of the journey entirely. Other times, like I do, we pause and try to figure out how to avoid that whole segment completely but sooner or later, the realisation sets in; you cannot get around, over or under it, the only way is through if you wanna get to the other side.

Take Papa Abraham for example, he had the promise of God and all, and was on course but, alas, there came the time where he was supposed to sacrifice a son he got after 100 long years. Put yourself in that bearded man’s shoes. For a long time, you sought for a child. After a 100 years and a long time waiting for the prophecy and promise to be fulfilled, it finally happens. You feel delighted and it looks like you’re on course for greater heights then, all of a sudden, an unavoidable reality hits you; to get to the other side, your only way out is to sacrifice that son.

What a cluster of emotions this man must have gone through!!

I’m pretty sure for some time (before you argue, remember, none of us was there, right?), he tried bargaining with God to avoid this obvious stage, he probably also tried to figure out ways around it, all to no avail. I’m wondering how long it took him to finally resign to the truth that the only way was through. Some of us, in his shoes, might have even considered breaking up with God just to avoid this phase. Come to think of it, dude couldn’t bear to tell Sarah, his wife!!

Of course, we all know how that conversation would have gone. Lol.

Now consider the case of Mary, the mother of Jesus, she had lived chastely her entire existence and was on the brink of marriage. Out of nowhere comes a weird visitor and soon enough, she has a lot of explanations to give about an obviously unexplainable pregnancy which also puts her at risk of a stony death. I’m wondering how that first conversation with Uncle Joe went (obviously before his dream). Such mind torture she might have endured.

There are many more examples we find all around of unavoidable terrible experiences which were critical for these persons’ next stage. Had any of them resigned, we probably wouldn’t even know of them now but one thing cut across for all;

They realised the only way to the other side was through and they braved through risking it all. Papa Abraham ended up not having to actually slay Ike and, Mary, well, we all know but, in the moment, in that moment of consideration, it was crucial for both to come to one conclusion that, the only way was through.

Now, lemme ask, what would you have done? Would you have been willing to go through the stigma of being pregnant, in those days, and risk facing a stony death, when your marriage rite wasn’t necessarily complete? Would you have been willing to sacrifice that son you waited a 100 years to finally get?

That’s the question for you to answer today.

Many of us are at that juncture where we know the next step is the going through the fire step; we know that possibly terrible experiences await us and that what we might go through has the tendency to break us but we also know that that is the only way to the other side. Today, my encouragement to you is that, like I always do eventually, BRAVE THROUGH.

That anticipated bad experience – BRAVE THROUGH.

That imminent seemingly unavoidable calamity – BRAVE THROUGH.

That phase you’re approaching that has you wishing you’d never started the journey – BRAVE THROUGH.

For in braving through, you’ll mostly discover that you’re not alone, that you’re stronger than you think and that you have what it takes to handle all that.

Don’t spend too much time paused and walking around still trying to manoeuvre around it, just wire up, and build courage and then, BRAVE THROUGH.

Paul said in Romans 8:18 that, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” This means whatever you anticipate going through for the realisation of your next stage, no matter how bad you perceive it to be, if you can BRAVE THROUGH, you’ll most likely discover that the glory of the next stage overshadows it all and you’re better for it.

Imagine bossu AB’s joy at the sight of the ram but, by then, he had also been proven faithful and his future was all bright and jolly.

So, dear one, gird up your loins, muster all the courage you have and take that BOLD step, step into that necessary test knowing that HE has promised HE will be with you through the fire and the storm, that HE will never leave you nor forsake you, that HE who has begun a good work in you will see you through [that fiery and tumultuous phase] and bring you to an EXPECTED END.

Harbour no fear!

Go forth!!

Greater lies ahead!!!

Now, lemme go and finish my movie…

Agostino.
©2019lessonsfromaSTRANGER

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