In the hard hitting, haunting movie “Sunset Boulevard,” Gloria Swanson
plays Norma Desmond, a legendary actress from the silent era, many years after.
When someone recognizes her, and asks “hey aren’t you Norma Desmond? You used
to be big...” she responds “I am big, it’s the pictures that got small..” Norma
lives in isolation, still the queen in her silent movie celluloid built mansion,
and even though 30 years have passed her by, she is still young and beautiful,
seeing herself as she is on screen. Maybe the pictures have gotten smaller.
But she has been away for years, and no one recognizes her any more. Until a
touching scene where she returns to the studio, dropping in on the making of a
movie. All the old timers remember her, and for one fleeting moment he past
becomes reality, but again fades too quickly. Celluloid heroes never die as
long as there are Late, Late Shows on TV, and viewers to watch them.
I had a friend in high school named Gary, a year ahead of me. He was part
of our high school’s track machine, when we went to meets it wasn’t if we would
win, it was what records we would break. And Gary set many of them, local,
state, and nationwide. He was handsome, looked the part of an athlete, always
had a crew cut, and we lost touch for a few years. When the rest of us
experimented with drugs, Gary was high on running. He had a full scholarship to
an Ivy League school, and did well, he still showed up in the sports section of
the Star Ledger. But when we met again, I didn’t recognize him. His hair was
long, looked disheveled, and he was buying alcohol. We were at a liquor store,
and he had changed for the worst. He came back to house, my last night before
leaving New Jersey, and we talked of music, our common love, and the past 4
years. He had done well in school, and on the track. He had some tough times,
but in running and competition found solace. Until his real driving force, his
father, died. Without his father’s encouragement, he was lost. Turned to drugs
and alcohol, lost his place on the track team, his scholarship, and had to drop
out. Back to Scotch Plains, he has few friends, they were all runners, and his
picture had gotten smaller. He used to be Gary, he was big....and no one cared
about what records he used to set. I left him heartbroken and lost all contact
with him.
After coming to the Lord, some psycho babbler taught us that our life is
based on our relationship with our father. He was speaking in earthly terms,
and I thought of Gary. His dad was everything to him, and he was lost when that
relationship ended. But I saw it in heavenly terms, my relationship with God.
And how my relationship with God, when I put him first, gave me a much different
and insightful view of the world. When we see things through God’s eyes, we see
things as he does, and our attitude changes. And so does our life.
When God created us it was for fellowship, and we immediately screwed that
up. Adam’s relationship was so different after sin, and we sunk to a low when
God flooded the earth, but saved Noah. One last chance for us to get it right,
but again we blew it. “We are big, it’s God that got small,” and so we got the
law, which only pointed out our sin. The sacrifices weren’t really, and soon
our hearts were exposed for all the evil in them. We needed a way back, so God
provided a person, Jesus Christ. The way. The only way back to our heavenly
father. Sent in love, to die for our sins, so we could be forgiven. A father
who loves us like no other, who never leaves us, never turns on us, and is
patient for us to come back to him. A God who many have forgotten about,
thankfully he has never forgotten about us. Maybe proving but on a spiritual
level how all life is based on the relationship with our fathers. Which shows
up in the world today as so many ask “who’s your daddy?” never knowing their
earthly dads who turned form them, but God has paved the way to him through
Christ. You see God still is big, it is our sin that got bigger, and
interrupted our relationship. Fortunately his love covers all sin, except
denying him, leaving the choice up to us. Where are you in your relationship
with God? Where is Jesus in your life? Or are you drifting due to the loss of
him, looking for the way back. Living on past memories of greatness, hiding in
drugs or alcohol wishing to return to the time before time passed you by.
Looking for the way back to the garden, which God has sealed off from us, he
wants us to return to a person not a place. To have new memories, and old
forgiven ones.
Most of our prayers start with us at the beginning. Today try something
new, meditate on God, and let his spirit lead the prayer. Maybe you be the part
that says “Amen,” and see how it changes your relationship with him. Get your
eyes on him and off yourself and your situation, and find peace and mercy in
Jesus, governed by the spirit and not your emotions. The heart can be deceitful
we are warned by John, but the spirit brings life. So let him. Consider all he
has done and his mighty deeds, and meditate on him instead of yourself. You
will find God is big, it is us that have gotten small, except our egos blinded
us from the truth. And we find not a return to the Garden of Eden, but to a
place in heaven prepared just for us. God has given us the way through Jesus,
the next step is up to us.
Psycho babble or not, God has placed in us a desire to fellowship with
him. Something that can only be satisfied through someone. The person of Jesus
Christ. The hardest battle may be only 18 inches in length, between the head
and the heart. When you know the truth and are set free, you see the truths in
many things God has made for us, and you will see things how he wants us to, for
our benefit. Without him you will never see the beauty he created. When the
light comes into the room you see the true colors, shapes, and designs in his
eyes. And beauty becomes beautiful all over again.
Stop, listen, then look. Listen for God and hear the spirit’s guiding.
Stop what you are doing, and look to Jesus. He is everywhere, for he created
all things. Want to know the past, listen to his words. How to deal with right
now, so we have a bright tomorrow. Not just a review on the Late Show.
Remember what God has done by reading your Bible, look back on how he saved you,
and reflect on the blessings. Short on blessings, let him give you more. He
will not deny you ever, so don’t deny him. Begin with God, get over yourself,
and follow a new course, one laid out for you that leads to Jesus, that leads to
our father in heaven, that lead us to him there. Celluloid heroes never died,
they are only seen in reruns. Step outside of yourself and see things anew, God
still is big, it is the pictures that got small. “I AM big,” says the Lord.
And when you are with the great I Am, you will be too. Take a clue from a
psycho babbler, who was so close, but so far. Look to Jesus, and not to your
own ways. Film at 11.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com