I have a date with destiny !

      I recently viewed the summer film Soul Surfer at the dollar movies and was pleasantly surprised at the presentation of Bethany's story. I'm not sure what I expected since I knew what had happened to her from the newspaper articles which came out at the time of the attack in which she lost her left arm. All the basic details were in the first article of how it happened but I (and the rest of the country, I suppose) could only imagine what she would have to go through in the ensuing months and years after she survived the attack.

      At one point in the film she has recovered and is unsure about continuing to surf competitively or to quit completely and she goes to the spiritual mentor of her youth group to talk. She finally breaks down in front of the mentor and cries, "How can this be God's plan for my life ?" Her mentor has no clear answer for her but she is very sensitive to her plaintive sublimation even though they both know the answer.

     It states in the Bible: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope.

      Early in the movie, Bethany wins the surfing championships and finds a sponsor. Soon after, her mentor reminds her about the commitment she had made to participate in a youth outreach in Mexico but Bethany turns her down because of the competitions she'll have coming up and she wants to get in practice. This is a major error that many on-fire and committed Christians make and I will admit that I have made myself, sometimes. By doing this you are giving God a big fat, "No." A greater error could not possibly be made because it's a defiance- no different than sin which is also a defiance of God's laws.

     However, this is not about God seeking revenge. When you defy God in this respect you have taken a turn in the road. You have officially left the path he had for you and now you are on unsafe ground- not unlike a sheep which has left the fold. There are wolves, sharks and whales out there ready to waylay and destroy you. Fortunately, an allegory which Jesus related to a gathering tells us all we need to know if we have only temporarily become waylaid. This was the story of the two sons who were both asked to go to the vineyard and work. (Matthew 21:28-31) One son refused and left. Later on, something happened and he came back to the Father, asked forgiveness and went to work in the vineyard. The other son said he would go to work immediately and then never showed up. Jesus asked his listeners which son had done the will of his father.

     This is obviously just a question of character but on second thought- is it? The question with the Soul Surfer story is weather Bethany was in the first category or the second. In truth, she made the error of the second son who said he would- but changed his mind for no apparent reason. When I was a child I remember my mother and church members talking about their children walking out of the arc of safety. What is the arc of safety? It is a road that you have been warned not to take. It is a sin you return to or can't seem to defeat. It is going to the exact place that you were warned not to go and out of defiance or willfulness go anyway. The term speaks for itself. 

     "You are now on unsafe ground. You are in the devil's territory and he will win because you're willing to play games with him."

     Your destiny as a child of God is one of victory. If you want to remain victorious then you must follow the path that God laid for you. If you take any other you are on ground which must be repaved by the Word of God. Are you strong enough to blaze a trail and keep a ring of Godly fire around yourself ? My advice is a biblical one. Only fools walk where angels fear to tread. Angels do not defy God, they obey him. You cannot walk his path and branch off another way. If you do this you are only being foolish and will be defeated at what you are trying to do on your own. 

     I have a date with destiny. The Lord says this is my destiny and has given me his guidance- clear and concise on how to get there. I will follow his plan and I will arrive victorious. I have what he says I have. I am what he says I am. I will do what he says to do. I will win because he's on my side.

Oh confess it, girl, confess it !

Jeremiah 29:11 

Matthew 19:26

The Castle Lady