Ruby Sparks

In the movie Ruby Sparks, a writer named Calvin writes a woman into existence. He falls in love with her, and after proving to his brother that what ever he writes about her happens, like making her speak French, Calvin puts away his writing and lets Ruby just live her life. He enjoys their relationship until Ruby begins to show some independence. Dismayed at her response to him, instead of letting that happen, he pulls out the paper and typewriter and writes her back into his presence. He continues to manipulate her by writing about her, until a crisis of proving his power over her then releasing her to herself. She leaves, he is heartbroken and writes a book about it. Then one day he happens on her again. She has no cognition of who he is to her, and he begins to woo her again as any man woos a woman.

When his brother first finds out the startling truth, he says he would love to be able to write his wife's annoyances away. Imagine if we could change those we love...which we often try to do, manipulating others to fit our own needs. Perhaps the very annoyance we would love to eliminate has some greater purpose.

Truthfully the only one who should be re-writing our character is God, who must shape us into the image of Christ. Yet because God gave us free will, we must submit to that change.

In fact, God did not make Calvin's mistake. God after creating us could have made us dependent on his every expression of who we are, but God knew that love forced is not love at all. So God allowed us to be ourselves from the moment God created us. Thank the Lord we are not subject to the capricious whims of a writer, or the selfish conceits of a lover, but instead have been empowered by a loving God to walk our own path, yet offered the option of obedience.

We do well to allow the Supreme Author to write our story. Then we know we can live happily ever after.

The Why of Grief

Recently I've written about grief. I mentioned that when my mom died, I felt quite unraveled. While missing her terribly, I could acknowledge the reality that her entrance to heaven represented a wonderful upgrade from her earthly life. True for anyone, but my mother had suffered much in this world and mentioned before her death a need for a vacation. She sure got one.

Currently I am dealing with a dear friend in a coma. Unlike my mother, this woman faces life with gusto. She serves God at our church with youth. She has young adult children she anchors and mentors. A granddaughter she has helped to raise. She is the most optimistic person I know. Laughs at everything. Tells me every time we talk, "love you much," and means it.

Heaven is an upgrade for anyone, but it's harder with someone like this to discern why she needs to depart so soon.

We always want to know why. We detest randomness. We know God is a God of order, so life cannot be random. When situations make little sense, we protest. Or at least I know I do.

If we can find a logical answer, we can avoid that circumstance. If we can blame something concrete, we know how to stay safe.

But that doesn't work, not for the children at Sandy Hook, or my friend, or many others who suddenly face death without a logical reason.

I don't understand why. And that ranckles me.

But I am comforted by the reminder that as much as death seems the enemy, death is really the door to eternity, and although we don't want to pass that way in haste, it is actually a door to freedom and glory. These words comfort me:

The righteous perish,
    and no one takes it to heart;
the devout are taken away,
    and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
    to be spared from evil.
² Those who walk uprightly
    enter into peace;
    they find rest as they lie in death. Isaiah 57:1-2

I have no specific answer why my friends is being taken away while so young, so useful, so loved, so needed. But I do rejoice that she will find rest in death. She does deserve that.