You've Got Mail

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan - what a fantastic movie pair... I guess that's why my wife moved You've Got Mail to the top of our queue on Netflix.  Well, she also wanted out daughter to see it.  I supposes she's also put Sleepless in Seattle and Joe vs the Volcano on there too.  Anyway, we watched this movie the other night and aside from having to explain to our 16 year old daughter what AOL was and what life was like back in the "olden days" it was a pretty good evening.

It was so funny to see the two characters waiting expectantly for their computers to "connect" so they could log into AOL and check their mail.  Who would have thought we'd soon have always-on, high-speed connections to the internet and do nearly everything from our computers, online?  So fun to remember 56k dial up modems as I sit here at my desk at Real Life with my Cox Business High-Speed wireless connection.  That dial up noise is one thing I do not miss!

Well, back to the reason I brought all this up.  In the movie the two main characters are always waiting for their connection.  And in once scene Meg's character is waiting at a restaurant for Tom's character to show up only she doesn't know it's him she's waiting for.  And when he shows up she's mad at him.  Now, you'll just have to go rent the movie and watch it again, but it's really quite interesting - including the part where they finally meet in AOL chat and it's this really big deal.  Which is funny because my kids don't know what it's like to NOT have instant chat on the computer or their cell phones wherever they are.

Okay, so let's get to the point of all this.  I was reading today in John 11, you might know that as the chapter where Jesus brings Lazarus back to life after he's been dead for four days.  This was actually the chapter and story I taught on for our Easter services at the Civic Center that kicked off our AWAKEN message series.  But there is some other stuff going on in this passage that has to do with the religious leaders that caught my eye.

Jesus has just healed Lazarus and everyone knows it.  But the Jewish leaders have been looking for a way and time to kill Jesus.  So when they get the news that He's just brought a dead guy back to life they are furious.  In fact, they said to each other, "What do we do now" (verse 47) which is interesting in and of itself. What would YOU do if someone you knew just came back to life after four days dead?  I think I'd believe whatever the life-bringer said about who He was or what He was doing!  But that's not all just nine verses later as they talked they ask, "Do you think He'll show up at the feast or not?"

That last one got me thinking.  How often do I, or you, ask this question in our hearts?  Will He show up?  Every time we get into a difficult situation we wonder, will He show up this time?  Maybe He's come to your rescue before and so you wonder if He'll show up this time because you've done the same dumb thing He had to rescue you from earlier.  Do you think He'll show up when the doctor gives you the bad news?  Will He be there when the bottom drops out of your world?  What about when your kid gets in trouble and you don't know what else to do or threaten?  Will He be there then?  Will He show up when you're alone in your room, in the dark, and there is no one to stop you from carrying out your plan?  Do you think He'll show up in the middle of YOUR life and do something incredible?

You don't have to wait for your prayer to upload.  You don't have to worry if your phone has connection.  And God will never play games with you.  The Bible tells us He's there, always, like a super-high-speed connection that is never interrupted by the storms of life or power failures.  He's always there.  He will ALWAYS show up because He's NEVER left you.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't rely on your own understanding or wisdom or even eye sight, in all that you do acknowledge that He's God and He'll direct your paths.  He'll show up.  He'll help you.

You've got mail.  It's a message from God sent through His Son Jesus Christ that simply says, "Here I am, right where I've always been, waiting for you to open the door and let me in."  He will never leave you or forsake you, you'll never have to ask, "Will He show up?"