Lent Day 4 - The Theory of Everything?

Is it a strange thing that everything seems connected? Or, is it strange that we don't notice the connectedness of life until we start focusing? Or is it that nothing is connected, and that our strange minds make links between random events that are totally disparate and exclusive?

If you thought I knew the answer to this, you have not read my blog before now. I don't pretend to know much of anything. I just have thoughts. Guesses. From time to time, something that I could call divine inspiration, but concrete tangible, the-proof-is-in-the-pudding knowledge alludes my grasp. And I am okay with that.

Today's reading in my "40 Days of Growth" plan was Ephesians 2:4-10 (NASB):

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

This morning I read a completely separate devotional about consecration, which is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The devotional was about me consecrating myself to God. All of that "Not my will, but God's will" type stuff. 

workmanship

I found that very connected to the above verse. The "solemn dedication to" part, I think, is what I read this morning. And then the "special purpose or service" are the good works, which God prepared beforehand for me to walk in. Connected. 

To some extent, this scripture struck something of a chord with me, as I think it made me imagine myself as having no control. We are made alive, raised and seated. We are workmanship (something effected, made, or produced)...and it reminded me of how I'd felt during the devotional that morning.

Nearly 7 hours apart, two different readings connected and created the same thought: 

Have I really said: "Not my will, but Your will, Lord" and meant it? 

I prayed it this morning, and followed it up with: "Help me to really mean that."  I think I mean it. My head means it. But something is held back. It's so important that scripture says we are saved by grace and not of ourselves. Because we want to boast. We really want credit for the good that we do. But this says that we were created to do those things! So then, where does the credit go? To the creator or the thing created? 

Watch this movie!!! You'll cry!

Which loosely brings me back to strange connectedness. I'm snowed it today. So, I decided I'd watch Oscar-nominated films that were available for rent. I started with the one I supposed I'd like the least: The Theory of Everything. I think I supposed that, as a Christian, I would take offense at a movie about someone who has spent their life denying the truth of the scriptures I plan to quote for the next 40 days.  That someone is of course, the physicist/cosmologist/super famous scientist, Stephen Hawking. 

First off, I want to say it was an excellent movie. It just was. I cried, I laughed...and I feel like I came to a place of deep respect and admiration for Dr. Hawking. But for some reason, and this is strange, the movie felt connected to my earlier devotion and later biblical reading. We are all created to do something. I feel like Stephen Hawking was created to be a great thinker. And he consecrated his life to it. To some extent, he had no choice but to consecrate his life to thinking as his mind is the most functional part of his body. Is it crazy that when I thought about how he was given 2 years to live in 1963 and is yet alive today that I had a praise?  It felt weird to me in the moment, but I just went with it. He had a job to do, and he did it. He wasn't pushed or motivated by the same things that push/motivate me. And I will (likely) not reach the level of fame that he has reached. But I felt that it was all connected. Everyone has something to do in this world. And we might not know the point of the "something" we do until the final, indisputable truth (not theory) of everything has been revealed in this world. But it the mean time, it's the nebulous "something."  And I think it probably works best when we consecrate ourselves to it. When we give ourselves over to it. 

When we look up into the sky and simply say: "Take me." 

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

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Random connection: Just last night I was discussing the Big Bang, for like 10 seconds while at dinner. Coincidence? Or just strange?! 

Strange note: I have watched both The Theory of Everything and The Grand Budapest Hotel back-to-back. So my thoughts sound a little British. Does it come off in the blog?