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One of the things I love about my parents is that they frequently speak in their favorite movie quotes. I don't think I've ever actually seen the movie A Few Good Men but that doesn't mean I didn't grow up hearing the phrase “You can't handle the truth!” on a regular basis. When I looked up the movie clip to write this blog I couldn’t help but laugh at how absolutely perfect it was. The conversation between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in this scene is painfully similar to conversations I have with God on a regular basis (minus the swearing, whoever this Santiago character is and God calling me a snotty, little bastard, obviously)
I often tell my friends that I'm fighting with God because, more often than not, I am. I have this theory that if I want something from God, no matter how absurd it is, I should tell Him. Or if I'm angry or frustrated at God, I should tell Him. Why? Because He already knows my heart. He already knows what I'm thinking and feeling so in my mind, telling Him anything different would be pointless. If you know me, you're aware that I am insanely stubborn and strong willed so naturally, this gets me into a lot of arguments with God.
“THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAID, YOU SAID…”
Everyone's relationship with God is different and unique so this may not be true of you, but for me personally, God doesn't always tell me the truth. In fact, He quite frequently tells me half truths to get me going where He wants me to go. He does this because He's perfect and He knows me perfectly. He knows that for some insane reason I think I know best and if He told me the whole plan I'd most assuredly screw it up by trying to make it happen in my own way, on my own terms.
“SOMETIMES MEN TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.”
What if while you were choosing your major in college God told you that some day you were going to own your own business but then told you to major in education? Wouldn't you think it was a better idea to just be a business major?
What if you met your future husband at the age of 20 but God told you your heart wasn't going to be ready for him until you were 25? Wouldn't you think it best to just date him in the mean time?
What if God told you your mission field was in your home town but He asked you to give up years of your life for overseas missions first? Wouldn't you think that going overseas was a waste of time when you could get started right where you are right now?
What if God told you to try and get pregnant but He also let you know that you wouldn't be able to have children for several years, if ever? Wouldn't you think it was a waste of time to try at all and want to save yourself the frustration and heartache?
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
THE TRUTH IS, we can't handle the truth- or at least I can't. That doesn't mean God is lying to me, it just means He has enough wisdom to know not to be fully honest with us sometimes. Sometimes God needs to teach us things that we may not want to be taught through experiences we may not want to have. Sometimes He needs to get us to a certain place at a certain time to fulfill a certain purpose that we may not ever understand. Sometimes when we ask Him a question He may not answer, regardless of how entitled we think we are to have that answer. The comforting thing is that ALWAYS- not sometimes- He knows best.
