There are times in life when music or movies seem to speak directly to you and where you're at. I am currently at Launch just before I leave the country and I've had something speak to me, Muppet Treasure Island.
This amazing musical has been singing the words of my soul since this morning, most specifically the scene at the beginning surrounding the song, "Something More Than This." I'll post the song at the bottom of the blog so you can watch but I'll explain first.
At the opening Jim is complaining about his life and his desire for something more, more adventure, a family, just something different than what he has. I had something like that hit me a year ago. I felt the calling from God on my life for something different but it coincided with a groaning in my heart.
I've quickly found my family in this journey, my Gonzo and Rizzo are my teammates and squadmates. We fall down together, we look different, we dream big, we probably shouldn't fit, but we do. And it's in the middle of dreaming big that someone or something reminds us of the dirty dishes. We all have our roles to play. One of us will wash the dishes, one will dry them, and the last will be Gonzo who breaks them.
Que the music; here begins the groaning of my heart. "I look around here and I want to cry. I feel like the world is passing me by." I felt as though in a world that's spinning madly, I was standing still. I had started to wonder what purpose I had, I knew there was something but I knew I was missing it and my fear was that I would never find it. It was in that moment I would dream.
Jim dreams of being an explorer, finding treasure, the glamorous life of a sailor. I dreamed of real, beautiful, gritty community, of constantly seeing God and His majesty, of living as big as possible. I dreamed of something different than what I had, something better but not as exclusively as Jim seems to dream. Then I would dream like Gonzo and Rizzo, lets find something weird and wild. And really, let's be honest, we all love to eat food, all of us.
As the process of being accepted, going to Training, and as Launch started I would say Jim's words immediately followed by Rizzo's. "Let danger call my name!" "If it does I'm gonna hide." I was thrilled to move forward and slightly terrified at the same time, still am if I'm honest.
And here is where things get really good, we all start singing together. Harmonies blending, voices rising with the swelling music that makes your spirit soar a little. Right now our voices are raised, it's the end of the song and the beginning of the adventure. The scene before us is beginning to close as we say our final goodbyes. We have our treasure maps, our friends, our captain and crew, and set sail (we really fly) this Sunday night. I have no doubts that we will meet Long John Silver, the one legged man, in many forms. For now, join us in the celebration filling the skies with prayer as we take the next step into the rest of our lives with God.
