Impossible

I am a movie fan. I love, love, love to go to the movies. I don't even mind going by myself- which my family thinks is very weird. But honestly- it is one of the few places it actually makes sense to go alone. You aren't interacting with anyone- you are supposed to not talk- it's one of the rules. No talking. That's really easy to do when you are by yourself. Most of the time, though, I go to the movies with one of the boys- either my husband or my son. I also don't mind seeing a movie more than once. So if I think the movie is good- I can go back with whichever one didn't see the movie the first time around. Today was one of my repeat days. My son and I went to see Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. While I have already said I am a fan of movies- I am a super fan of action movies like this one. Not too violent, not too heavy as far as subject material,  and according to some people...not too realistic.

I hear this complaint about movies a good bit. I have several issues with this comment but today it especially hit me. I mean for goodness sake- the name of the movie was "Mission IMPOSSIBLE"! Emphasis on the impossible if you didn't catch that. Would you pay money to go see Mission Realistic? Or Mission Quite Possible? The problem moves beyond the movies though to a place where it hits me where I live. I want to see the impossible. I will pay money to see it twice in fact. There is a place in my heart that longs to know the impossible can happen- that I don't have to settle for realistic or the everyday. I serve the God of Impossibilities but most days I forget. I have prayed prayers that have gone years without seeing answers but instead of asking for Him to increase my faith- I lower my expectations. Instead of calling for my experience to line up with His Word and His promises- I look for "realistic" answers. I allow my experience to lower His Word to a place I can explain and understand.

But God is longing to be known as the Mission Impossible God- He says call on Him and He will answer and show us amazing and incredible things we did not know! (Jeremiah 33:3)

How long has it been since you've been amazed? (And I'm not talking about amazed at the ridiculousness that you see all around you- I mean the merge lane is a place for the ridiculously amazing every day..how hard is it to merge?!?!?) But have you been amazed at the incredible things He has shown you? Have you been amazed at the impossibilities of God? What if we started to believe He really could do the Impossible? If I can sit for 2 and a half hours and believe Ethan Hunt can really hang off the side of a plane- can I not believe the Creator of the Universe can do what He has promised?

Let's invite Him into the impossibilities of our life. Let's believe together that He can set you free from the self-hatred you have carried since childhood. Could you really love yourself just the way you are? He says you can. What about the impossibility of being free from addictions - even if the 12 step program hasn't worked so far or countless rehab facilities and counseling have done nothing but put you in contact with better suppliers- today we could believe He can do for you what no one else can.  Or the impossibility of keeping your marriage together or restoring one that's already broken apart? The impossibility of breaking free from generational bondage that has followed your family line for generations? The impossibility of lost children finding Jesus? The impossibility of breaking free from the cycle of poverty? Or maybe just the impossibility of paying your bills this week?

The Bible says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and we will see the impossible.(Matthew 17:21) I'm not sure if you've ever seen a mustard seed but it is really really small. Like tiny. That's all we need. And if we don't think we even have that much- we can ask Him to give us the mustard seed. I will tell you- if you are brave enough to ask for the seed- you already have the seed! I know some are struggling because you have believed for so long and you are losing heart. There is a story in John, Chapter 21, about the disciples fishing. They had been out all night and had caught nothing. Jesus came in the morning and called to them from the shore and told them to throw their nets out one more time. You know they had to be thinking- "Are you kidding?! We have been out here all night! We are tired and this is pointless!" But they did it anyway. Sometimes- we are tired and it seems pointless to hold onto hope - but do it anyway. The story goes on to tell us that when they did what Jesus said- they could could not pull the net in because it was filled with so many fish! I don't know why Jesus waited until morning to appear. I don't know why all night as they prayed and fished and hoped and fished and watched other boats all around them catching fish- that He didn't send the fish into their nets. But I know when He told them to do it in spite of their frustration and hopelessness- not only did they catch the fish but they saw Jesus. Up to that moment they didn't know who He was. In our places of deepest pain and despair- we will have a revelation of our Mission Impossible God. He promises.