I Found God in 'Breaking Dawn...'

I am a Christian.
I also LOVE fantastical tales.
One of my favorite series of books is Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.

And yes, it is a book about Humans, and Vampires, and Werewolves.

But the point of this blog is opening your eyes to God's way of weaving Himself into everyday, ordinary life, and I have found God in many fantastical stories - Twilight included.

I really believe author John Granger's thesis on fiction: That all humans naturally resonate with stories that reflect the greatest story ever told-- the story of God who became man... [and that] parents wanting to share the Christian message of love's victory over death, of our relationship to God the Father through Christ, even of Christ's two natures and singular essence [can find it in many fictional tales... naturally woven throughout the stories].
~Looking For God in Harry Potter, p. xix

In this particular case - I notice a distinct similarity between a scene in Meyer's 4th book, Breaking Dawn, and one who accepts Jesus into her heart:


*NOTE: if you are a Twilight Fan and and haven't yet read Breaking Dawn, this contains spoilers of a BIG nature. Please stop my post, go read the book, and then return! :)




When Jacob (a werewolf) finally "imprints" (find his soul mate), the change in his mind, body, and soul is described in this manner:

My shaking jerked to a stop; heat flooded through me, stronger than before, but it was a new kind of heat - not a burning.

It was a glowing.

Everything inside me came undone as I stared at the tiny porcelain face of the half-vampire, half-human. All the lines that held me to my life were sliced apart in swift cuts, like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that made me who I was - my love for the dead girl upstairs, my love for my father, my loyalty to my new pack, the love for my other brothers, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my self - disconnected from me in that second - snip, snip, snip - and floated up into space.

I was not left drifting. A new string held me where I was.

Not one string, but a million. Not strings, but steel cables. A million steel cables all tying me to one thing - to the very center of the universe.

I could see it now - how the universe swirled around this one point. I'd never seen the symmetry of the universe before, but now it was plain.

The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood.

It was... [the girl] ... that held me here now.
~Breaking Dawn, p. 359-360

What if you changed a few words?
What if the catalyst for that change was not a mere person (or vampire or whatever) - but Jesus Christ? It would read something like this:

[I felt] a new kind of heat - not a burning.

It was a glowing.

Everything inside me came undone when I accepted Christ into my heart. All the lines that held me to my life were sliced apart in swift cuts, like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that made me who I was - my love for my family and friends, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my stuff, my self - disconnected from me in that second - snip, snip, snip - and floated up into space.

I was not left drifting. A new string held me where I was.

Not one string, but a million. Not strings, but steel cables. A million steel cables all tying me to one thing - to the very center of the universe.... To God.

I could see it now - how the universe swirled around this one point. I'd never seen the symmetry of the universe before, but now it was plain.

The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood.

It was... God ... that held me here now.

Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume that you know it all.

Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,

your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;

give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst,

your wine vats will brim over.

But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;

don't sulk under his loving correction.

It's the child he loves that God corrects;

a father's delight is behind all this.

Two things I get from this:

1. That God can speak to us in my ways - through many different venues. I find him in Harry Potter, Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc. - places where others would deem unlikely, but places where God knows He can find me.

2. When you open your heart to God's love, the ties that bind you to Earthly "things" are severed. And, the new "steel cable" now tethers you to Him and the truths of His Word.

The safest way to navigate the tough and tricky journey of life, is to secure yourself to One who created this Life in the first place. The glowing you will feel is worth it.

♥ Mags

Credits:

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger

Verses from http://www.biblegateway.com/

Karaoke Tuesday: "If We Are The Body"

It is my husband's and my turn to teach 2nd grade Sunday School this month. Sunday's lesson was on the 6th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Seems easy enough... usually you can safely say that all of your students have this one taken care of - surely there isn't a murderer amongst the 7-year-old crowd, right?!

The lesson we presented used this Commandment in a broader sense: it included the idea of "killing one's spirit" as well as physical murder. Using the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we were able to show the kids how one's words and actions (or lack thereof) can physically hurt another human being just as sharply as a sword or knife.

Our song today is If We Are The Body by Casting Crowns. Often, we hear in church that "we are the body of Christ" - but are unsure of what that means, exactly. This song and the fan video I've included below gives us a clear picture of what it means to BE part of Christ in our word and actions:

Fan Video by rayman71

So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among it's members, so that all of the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. Now all of you together are Christ's body and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.

-1 Corinthians 12:24-27

It is our responsibility as Christians to extend the hand of friendship, generosity, kindness, and love to those around us - that's everyone around us... our friends, our foes... the popular ones... the "undesirables." Behaving "Christ-like" means being generous and loving - without restriction. Your small kindness can make a big impact on another... and just might be the very thing that brings them over the threshold to Christ.

♥Mags


Song: If We Are The Body
Artist: Casting Crowns

I Found God In My Heart - Part 2

My story today is fairly UNrelated to the original "I Found God In My Heart" post, but since it involves "hearts," what else would I title it...? :)

My 4-year old is currently fixated on "floods" - He continually asks if it is going to flood, if it might flood, if it will flood, and other translations of the same question. At first I thought he was just afraid of thunderstorms, but his questions got more insistent (requiring a better answer than my standard "Um-Hm" or "Uh-uh,") AND often came in the middle of a sunny day. When he finally mentioned God, I realized he was fixated on the Noah's Ark story and the BIG flood.

I try to explain that God isn't going to flood the world again. My mother-in-law even helpfully reminded him about the rainbow and God's promise and all that. But he was still whining about drowning in a flood, and I was distracted trying to check email or something - so I said something uber-helpful like "You just have to listen to your heart when God is talking and hear him tell you that he won't flood the world again."

Nice answer, Mom.

He's 4.

He takes things literally.

The next thing I know, my son is contorted into some strange position on the sofa.. head all twisted up and cock-eyed. I start laughing and ask him what he is doing, to which he replies, "I'm trying to put my ear on my heart to listen to what God is saying in there!"

D'OH!

This reminded me that children - especially young children take just about everything literally. We sing so many fun Bible songs - many about Jesus being IN our hearts. You ever wonder how the kids take that? Because they are so trusting, do you think they envision a mini-Jesus walking around inside their bodies?

It makes me giggle... what their young minds might conjure up... but at least the idea is planted in their minds. And, as they grow older, hopefully, they will transition from the idea that there is an actual person inside their hearts to FEELING God filling their hearts and souls with His love, His Word, and His guidance.

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:36-38

Following God's greatest commandment will allow the Lord to guide and protect my children - and allow them to accomplish all of the great plans He has for them...

... But until then... I'm going to have to be a little clearer on how I explain things... otherwise, my son is going to be permanently bent up like a pretzel! :)

Hug a little one today,
♥Mags

I Found God In My Heart

During some Internet surfing, I came across this poem by e.e. cummings called I Carry Your Heart. I had been reminded of it watching ER - because during Abby & Luca's wedding, Abby had recited part of it...

I carry your heart in my heart.
I am never without it.

Anywhere I go... you go, my dear.
And whatever is done by only me... is your doing, my darling.

I fear no fate - because YOU are my fate, my sweet.
I want no world... for, Beautiful, you are my world.
My True....and it's you...are whatever a moon has always meant
And whatever a sun will always sing
Is You.

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows...
Here is the root of the root,
And the bud of the bud,
And the sky of the sky,
Of a tree called life.
Which grows higher than the soul can hope,
or the mind can hide,

And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart:

I carry your heart. I carry it in my heart.

Now I've had this poem stuck in my head for the past few days.... mostly wondering if I could read it from the perspective of God to Man... or Man to God...

I think God, for sure, can easily say that for each and every one of us, he carries our hearts in His... we are His creation... His masterpiece... even if our choices don't always reflect our fullest potential. *sighs ruefully*

The greater question is whether or not we carry God's Heart in ours...

Remember the old Vacation Bible School Song "I've Got The Joy?" It went something like this:

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, (where?)

Down in my heart, (where?)

Down in my heart.

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, (where?)

Down in my heart to stay.

And I'm so happy! So very happy!

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!

And I'm so happy! So very happy!

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!!!

I remember singing this song with joyful abandon - not caring that, sadly, I cannot sing in tune! Believing with that "child-like faith" that I had Jesus, literally!, inside my heart did bring me joy! And inviting God into your heart can not only bring you joy, but peace, fullfillment, happiness, companionship, and more.

At our church, to become an official "member" you need only to invite God into your heart and speak this aloud: that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and to demonstrate this committment to living God's Word by Baptism. Once you've let Him in and openly acknowledged that He is living in you, you CAN live as this e.e. cummings' poem (with a few key word changes):

God... I carry Your heart in my heart. I am never without it.
Anywhere I go, You go, my God.
And whatever is done by only me, is Your doing, my Lord.
I fear no fate, because You are my fate, my God.
I want no world, for God, You are my world, my Truth.
And it's You... are whatever a moon has always meant,
And whatever a sun will always sing... Is You.

You are the deepest secret we all should know...
You are the root of the root,
And the bud of the bud,
And the sky of the sky,
Of a tree called Life.

Which grows higher than the soul can hope,
or the mind can hide,
And this is the wonder that keeps the stars apart:
I carry Your Heart, Lord,
I carry it in my heart.

Have a blessed day,
:) Mags


PS
I found some beautiful fan videos using the poem on YouTube - one for the poem in general and another talking about a couple from One Tree Hill (watching the actual TV show is irrelevant - the video is a great demonstration of of the poem). I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! :)