“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Exodus 9:16
I have been involved in children’s ministry ever since I was 8 years old. I have seen God do so many wonderful things in the lives of children and also accomplished some pretty cool personal goals, like writing an original song for a Christmas musical. Being a part of children’s ministry is all I’ve ever wanted, but there have been seasons in my life where that hasn’t always been the case. There have been times where I would apply to church after church and never even get an interview because the other candidates were better fits. I’m sure you’ve felt like I have in these moments and thought what’s the point of even trying if everyone else seems better than you. It’s in these moments that God loves to show me His love and purpose in unlikely ways.
Being in children’s ministry as long as I have, it probably is no surprise to you that I LOVE ANIMATED FILMS! I love the stories, the graphics, the art design, the characters. It doesn’t matter if it’s Disney, Sony, Dreamworks or even anime, animated films are just amazing to watch. Fun Fact, the cake topper for our wedding was of the main characters from the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. It’s buried somewhere on our facebook page if you want to find it.
One of my favorite moments from an animated movie comes from the film “Kung Fu Panda 3”. The main character, Po, has just tried teaching his first kung fu class. Suffice to say it did not go well. As he walks off to be alone, he is met by his teacher, Master Shifu. Po was upset that Shifu told him to teach a class knowing that he would fail. Shifu tells Po, “If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are.” When Po argues he can never be a teacher like Shifu, he responds, “I’m not trying to turn you into me. I’m trying to turn you into you.”
This scene has always stuck out to me. How many times have you looked at someone else and said, “I wish I could be more like them?” If you haven’t, you’re either lying or you’re a much better Christian than the rest of us. We all feel this way at some point in our lives. It’s not out of jealousy or hate that we say these things. We simply look at ourselves and feel we don’t have the skills or knowledge to accomplish what they have. And yet who you are is exactly who God wants to use. Your purpose and plan isn’t tied to how you compare to others. It is connected to how much you trust God to be who He is in your life. YOUR LIFE. Not your neighbors, not your pastors, not your parents; YOURS.
I’ve spent nearly my entire life in the Dallas/Ft Worth area of Texas, so I am a huge Dallas Mavericks fan and my favorite basketball player of all time is obviously Dirk Nowitzki. Now if you were to ask anyone if they thought Dirk was the greatest player of all time, everyone would tell you “No.” They’ll say Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, but never Dirk. So then why even play? If these people are already the greatest ever, why even bother to try? Because the drive and passion you have in life tells you differently. Dirk wasn’t trying to be Jordan, he was trying to be Dirk. Po didn’t need to be Shifu, he just needed to be Po. And more importantly, God doesn’t want you to be anyone other than who He has created you to be. God has put you where you are for such a time as this. You may not have the kung fu skills to change the world, but you do have a God with the power and love to change your life. When we are willing to accept His purpose and His plan, nothing can stop us from being everything God has created us to be.
