Three Days to be... Limitless

I recently showed my Bible class the film, "The Miracle Worker," and afterwards gave them an essay written by Helen Keller titled, "Three Days to See."  The essay described what Helen would do if she were given three days to see.  I assigned my class to write about what they would like to do for three days if they were given an ability they do not currently have.

I often give great thought to what I would do for my own assignments, and for this one I would write about what I would do if I could be Limitless, like in the movie of the same name (which I blogged about previously).

If I were truly Limitless, then that would mean that I could travel at the speed of thought.  If you know me personally, then you know that I really enjoy travelling.  So I would spend the first day travelling the world.  Since I would be travelling by the power of thought, at the speed of thought, there would be no need to buy a ticket or stand in security line-ups at the airports!  So I would have time to see each of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Since being Limitless would also mean I would not need to sleep, I would have time to travel to the top 20 Natural Wonders of the World, like Ayers Rock in Australia, and to the top of Mt. Everest.

Next, I would speed around the world touring the most expansive buildings in the world.  This would take me to Dubai and a number of other exotic places!  I would want to take in the world's most noteworthy art galleries and museums.

After spending the first 24 hours travelling extensively, the second day of being Limitless would be devoted to learning.  I picture it working something like the downloading of information we saw in The Matrix.

I would want to speed-learn all the main languages of the world so that I could read, speak and understand them each fluently.  I would want to commit the entire Holy Bible to memory so that I had it on instant-recall at all times for the rest of my life.  I would also want to read every work of classic literature.  Also, if I had a Limitless capacity for learning, I would definitely want a working knowledge of global politics, economics and commerce.  I would learn enough to acquire a doctorate in psychology, communications, and theology.  Another area of learning I would like to venture into is music.  I would like to be able to play any instrument, and compose music in every genre.  And I would like to learn how to paint.  Oil, acrylic, and watercolours.  Might as well learn everything there is to know about photography as well.

And yet knowledge without love is meaningless.  What good would all that knowledge do unless I applied it to make the world a better place?  And so my final day of being Limitless would be devoted to loving and giving to others.

Now, how does one love and give to the whole world?  Well, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that all who believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.  That's a pretty tough act to follow!  But, since God IS love, what I could do is share Him with others.  This would have to be done on a grand scale, but, because I would be Limitless, I could probably arrange a press conference that would be broadcast live over the entire globe.  Of course, being able to speak in all those languages would come in handy.

If I could clearly communicate to everyone how wide and high and long and deep is the love of God for them, then they would certainly respond to Him by loving Him back!  We would all love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.  Then, I would certainly need each of those doctorates to be able to teach the world to love one another as Christ loves us.  If I could convince the world, and everyone in it, to love their neighbour as themselves, then world hunger and global warming would be halted in a single day, a single hour.  Wars would cease.  The world would be a better place.

That would be three days well spent, don't you think?  And then I would have a nice long, blissful sleep.

Dearest Readers, this is the deepest desire of my heart -- that the world would know the love God has for them.  I will never be Limitless.  I will continue to travel when circumstances allow, and I will continue working towards my Masters of Communication.  And I am doing my best to pass long the love of God to everyone I can.  But I can't reach the whole world by myself.  Will you help me?  Will you share the love of God today?  Please?

Love, Darilyn

The Power of My Name

As a Senior High teacher, I am often asked by students if they can use my name as a reference.  I have filled out countless forms, written letters of recommendation, and answered many phone calls to answer questions about students and former students.

By the power of my name students have gone on to be accepted into universities, colleges, internship programs and won scholarships and awards.  Any time a student has used my name as a reference for a job, if I am called by the prospective employer, I am not satisfied unless my recommendation actually gets the student where they want to go.  So I am very convincing.

The most important occasion that I ever had to use the power of my name for a reference was when I was recently assisting a young man to get into Teen Challenge.  I happened to have worked for several years with the wife of the intake counsellor, and had taught the children of one of their administrative assistants for many years.  So when I assisted him with his online application, I added in the "comments" area that these two people could vouch for my sincerity in pledging my support and encouragement to this young man throughout the duration of his treatment program.

As I was praying afterwards for his acceptance into the program, I thought, "With the power of my name behind his name, perhaps he will get in."  And I knew even as I prayed that any "power" behind my name is simply the Lord in me.

It is by his grace and strength and mercy alone that I have earned a respectable reputation for myself.  It is only because Christ has been faithful to carry on towards completion the good work He began in me that there is anything respectable in me at all.  It is only by God's grace that I have been able to fulfill the duties of my calling in any way, shape or form.  It is only because I am being renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit within me, and being transformed into the image of Christ by his power at work within me that anyone can find anything praiseworthy, noble and good in me.

And so I realized that if this young man got accepted it is not because of anything I have done but only because of what the Lord has done in me.  

I also realized that my name might open the door for him, but he has to walk through it.  The young man will have to buy into the program and walk it out.  The doors may swing open to allow him in, but he has to personally take responsibility and ownership for making the most of the opportunity.

And I realized too that the Lord's mighty name behind me opens doors of opportunity for me as well.  And I am the one who is responsible to walk through those doors of opportunity and work through the details of the path set before me to reach the destiny He has planned for me.  There is a saying that goes like this; "If it is to be, it is up to me."

In the parable of the talents, one was given 5, one was given 2, and one was given 1.  Read that parable again, and this time imagine the talents, instead of being coins, were opportunities.  The ones who were rewarded were the ones that made the most of their opportunities!  I want to be like that.  I want to make sure, when by the power of Christ in me, doors of opportunity are opened to me, I make the most of them.

The doors of opportunity are not the only doors that are opened to us by the power of Jesus' name.  The very doors of heaven are opened to us so that we may spend our eternal lives there.  The doors to the throne room of His grace are opened to us so that we may present our requests to the King of kings.  We may boldly enter the presence of the Almighty because we enter in the name of Christ.

Readers:  Have you come under the power of His name?  Have you accepted what Christ has done for you?  Do you know that the work of God is simply this: to believe in the One he has sent?  This is a door of opportunity for you to invite Jesus into your heart and life.  Do it.  Make the most of this opportunity.

Love, Darilyn

Country Strong?

Last night my husband and I rented the movie Country Strong.  It was sort of the typical star-with-an-addiction film until you got near the end.

This blog contains spoilers -- so sorry about that.  Stop reading now if you haven't seen it and plan to.

The title of the movie, and the theme of it, was about a country star's "great comeback."  Well, after leaving rehab early, ruining one show, and cancelling another one, Kelly Cantor (Gwenyth Paltrow) puts on an amazing show.  It seemed like making an appearance for a young boy with Leukemia for the Wish Foundation had given her the grounding she needed to pull herself together.

But her great comeback lasted all of one night.  She went to her change room after the show and committed suicide.  Afterwards, her friend is reading a note she left him and in it she had written, "I have the right to disappear."

I am sorry, but I could not believe my eyes, or my ears.  The movie is titled, "Country Strong" and is marketed as a comeback story, and in the end the heroine ends up dead by her own hand?  What's with that?

Look, I understand that people get depressed, discouraged, and downright disgusted with life and even themselves sometimes.  But I really believe that suicide is the coward's way out.

Suicide is the worst thing you could do to your friends and loved ones.  Especially if you have children -- it is the worst thing you could to do them, or if you have parents.  What could be worse than if your child ended the life you strived to give them?

Of course in the film, Kelly Cantor's parents are not included in the story.  The massive grief of every one around her is never shown.  A suicide is something that those left behind may never get over.  And that this movie glorified it by including a line like, "I have the right to disappear," just really infuriates me.  A more apt title for this film would have been "Country Coward."

Readers, if you ever think for a minute that taking your own life is the answer, check again.  It isn't.  Please don't.  Pick up the phone and call someone.  Anyone.  A suicide hotline if there is no one else.  Don't ever give up on life.  Life hasn't given up on you.  You can't see the next chapter of your life from where you are right now.  So, get up out of the pit you are in so you can gain some perspective.  Get medical help.  Admit you need help.  It gets better, I promise.

Father, I pray that those who are thinking of suicide will stop and think again.  I pray that they will realize that they are making a huge mistake.  I pray that they will humble themselves and call someone for help.  I pray Lord, that they will seek you and find you when they do.  Father, please let those lost sheep know that you love them and value them so very very much.  Let them know that you do have a plan for them, a plan to prosper them and not to harm them.  That you have plans to give them hope and a future.  Father, bless them with your peace I pray.  In Christ's name, Amen.

Love Darilyn