Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
I’m a little nervous about writing this, because I know that there is a long-standing, unwritten rule of “mandom” that real men can’t – and don’t – like chick flicks, and so my admission here could open myself up to all kinds of cheap shots. Of course, it could be worse. It least I don’t carry a man-bag. Besides, when you finish reading this, you may very well have a new appreciation for chick flicks, too. So, let me make my case before you start pelting me with 10% off coupons to Bath & Body Works, okay?
If you’ve seen one chick flick, you’ve seen them all, because the plot is similar in all of them (hmm, in that case, Rocky movies are similar to chick flicks, too, right?). Guy and girl meet but can’t stand each other. They are forced to be around each other by circumstances beyond their control. They begin to fall in love, but are driven apart by something one of them did to hurt the other (which is usually something stupid which the man did – especially if the movie is on Lifetime). Finally, as the music swells, the guy chases the girl down just before the plane takes off and they proclaim their never-ending love for one another with an embrace and kiss. Fade to black and roll credits.
Now that I think about it, I may not actually love chick flicks. I mean, I never willingly watch them, and for the most part I roll my eyes when Wendy’s looking the other way, but every time I watch one, I catch myself smiling at the end when the guy and girl embrace each other and kiss. There is something about that embrace that always makes me think of this verse and how Jesus pursued me (and you) despite all of the stuff that I put in His way. I once was far off, but at just the right time, on the final boarding call for a life and eternity apart from Him, He found me and brought me near to Him.
I don’t know what is waiting for you today; good news or bad, joy or pain. I do know, though, that you can walk in the confidence that you were worth pursuing once by Jesus, and if life – or even your bad decisions – tries to drag you far off from Him, the music will begin to swell and He will find you in that place that seems beyond hope and even beyond Him, and He will bring you near again.
Fade to black and roll credits.
