{This post was originally posted in the fall of 2014.}
It’s cliche, but there is certainly magic in the movies. Watching Harry Potter and friends zoom through the air in a quidditch match was exhilarating to watch. I can only imagine how cool it was to film. As much as I enjoy watching the finished product, I am fascinated by how it all gets put together.
My favorite part of Universal Studios is the backlot tour. Seeing the “sets” for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and the house from “The Golden Girls” was so cool to me. I have logged multiple hours watching the stories and documentaries about the filming of my favorite movie, Jaws.
In my own life, though, I prefer seeing the finished product. I like seeing the whole picture, with all its sights and sounds. I want it displayed for me on the big screen, in the Big D theater. I like seeing every angle, the one where no question is unanswered.
You may be like that, too. In fact, I bet most of us are, at least some of the time. Unfortunately, that’s just not the way life works. It’s rare that we get to see the big picture. Sometimes we barely have more than a corner and an interior piece to the puzzle.
The good news is we serve a God who is ever working “behind the scenes” on our behalf. In those guaranteed moments when we are beyond frustrated because we don’t have all the answers, we don’t know why some things are happening, we don’t know why some things aren’t happening, fill in your own blank. In those times we can lean more heavily on our faith, knowing even when we can’t see it, God is on our side. Deuteronomy 31:6 promises:
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Recently I was at a local farm with my son and as we were leaving the sky caught my eye. It was late in the afternoon on a partly cloudy day. The sun was out, but I wouldn’t describe it as shining. But it was definitely giving off light. And though it was hidden by the clouds, a few rays shone out. I couldn’t see the sun but its evidence was there and I knew it was still working behind the clouds.