Movies vs. life

I've decided that what I like in movies isn't necessarily the same as what I like in real life. Let me explain. I watched "Inception" a couple of weeks and thought it was one of the most creative movies (from a story line perspective anyway) that I had seen in a while. It stood out because honestly a lot of movies are very predictable. By the time the opening scene has unfolded on screen, I can tell you what is going to happen at the end of the movie. Not necessarily a bad thing when I'm watching for an adventure movie, buddy movie or the most predictable of all, a romantic comedy (also known as a chick flick). But I like a movie where I don't know where the story is going or when there is a twist in the story that is so totally unpredictable. Films like Sixth Sense or Memento or now Inception have those "I didn't see that coming" moments. Those moments like at the end of "Inception" when the top is spinning and you are wondering will it fall or not? (Not really a spoiler if you haven't seen the movie.) It isn't all neatly wrapped up and concluded by 15 minutes into the movie. You don't know that there will be a happy ending of the guy getting the girl, the good guys will win, or the under dog will become the hero. It leaves you hanging and wondering.

I like that in movies, but not so much in life. It seems a lot of life is that way. You are left wondering how it will turn out. There are unpredictable turns. Things that blindside you. Plot twist that make you wonder how the good guys will win or even if they will win. Life is a lot of things, but predictable isn't one of them. Oh, we treat it like tomorrow will be exactly as we have it planned. That we can control the uncontrollable. That our lives will follow a certain script. But for me, the next step is really about all I can see. I don't know where the movie is heading. I have a vague idea where I want it to go, but really I need to just concentrate on the next step because the rest is out of my control. For all of you who like predictable, I'm sorry, but life isn't one of those things. We simply can choose what is right in the next step. What is wise with the next choice that is before us. We don't really know where it is going to take us during our lives.

Maybe, as I think about it, that isn't bad. The unpredictability of life keeps us coming back to God. We can keep turning back to Him and ask "What now?" What is the next step in this incredibly wild and unpredictable story that is unfolding. How do we fit into His story? What is our small cameo role? How will it impact the story line? Will it make a huge difference in how the story unfolds?

So what movie or movie type does your life look like? What are the unexpected twists so far in your life? Just remember those twists are what make the movie good. In life, those unexpected twists are where we grow and learn.