Saturday, 27 December 2008

• Currently Chariots of Fire By Yves Beneyton, Colin Bruce, Cheryl Campbell, Peter Cellier, Ian Charleson see related

  "when i run, i feel his pleasure"

  Christmas break has been to be completely honest, boring. Oh sure, the whole relaxing and enjoying the company of friends and family has been great and all, but it still is a far cry from the utter wonderful-ness of school life. To combat my boredom i stopped by the county library yesterday and picked up half a dozen mindless books to read to occupy my time. I also browsed through the DVD section to see if there was anything that interested me... due to the holidays everything was pretty picked over but I did find a movie I haven't seen in years... Chariots of Fire.

  I watched it last night... that has got to be one of the most amazing films ever made. My favorite character is  Eric Liddell where he turns to his sister and says, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

  That statement serves as a reminder regarding our purpose and vocation in life. God blesses us with talents, abilities, and unique personalities that are designed to glorify him. Sometimes we look at others in our life and notice all of their talents and fail to recognize our own stregnths (yet at the same time heeding our weaknesses). I know i certainly tend to do this. A friend at school was talking to me and she surprised me in saying that the girls around me at school trust me for advice, and that I don't lie to people (translated, i am a bit brutally honest at times) and usually I am "right" regarding my advice and gut instincts regarding people and relationships. God has blessed me with a discernment, and I need to contantly be aiming to give Him pleasure in my words and actions towards others.

  Here's another snippet from the movie that I love...

  "You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race" - Eric Liddell

  Another scene from the movie that is beautifully crafted is where He is pictured giving a sermon on Isaiah 40...

  "Behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are counted as a small dust in the balance, all nations before him are as nothing. They are counted to him less then nothing, vanity. He bringeth the princes to nothing, he maketh the judges of the earth as a vanity. Hast thou not known. Hast thou not heard. That the everlasting God, the LORD, the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not? Neither is weary.  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no strength he increaseth might. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

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