warrior

I watched Kung Fu Panda three times last weekend. Dustin Hofman is fantastic, as always. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It's laugh-out-loud funny. And for what it's worth, Timothy wanted to watch it the second time. He never does that. We'll leave Blockbuster empty handed before he'll rent a movie we've already seen.

We rented it Saturday evening. Watched it again Sunday over lunch. And again Sunday night at my parents' house 'cause I knew my mom would probably pee herself laughing. And that's always fun.

There's one scene where Master Shifu (Dustin Hofman, who is - by the way - fantastic) is trying to meditate. He's had a very stressful few days. It's late at night. His students are in bed, and he's sitting with a few candles going, "Inner ... peace ... in ... in ... inner peace ..."

Then, of course, he gets distracted and the plot line continues to move forward, but for whatever reason that scene (the third time I'd seen it in two days) snatched my attention. The movie and the laughter went on without me for a few moments as I lay on the couch considering.

There are a couple scenes in the movie wherein the characters are having deep conversations by moonlight. And here was Master Shifu meditating in the middle of the night. Am I to believe the characters hardly sleep?

In another scene, the morning bell is rung and, fast as lightning, the students throw open their bedroom doors and appear in the hallway with a unison, "Good morning, master."

I don't know much about kung fu, but I know that these ideas are universally associated with warriors and excellence. The point of Kung Fu Panda was not to genuinely portray the lifestyle of a kung fu master, but when writers and story boarders were trying to assemble a believable script these kinds of disciplines were included.

There I was, laying on my parents' couch, moved to jealousy by Jack Black as a CGI panda with a boyish fantasy about kung fu.

Because the truth is, people do this. People live like this. Warriors live like this. Masters live like this. People with a vision to push themselves to be the best they can be live like this. Am I?

My God is my King is my Master is a warrior. I was born in the middle of a war to fight in battle day after day after day. Not just for two weeks toward the end of summer, or as the mood strikes me. Am I?

People deny themselves every day for lesser things. People train late and rise early every day for temporary treasures. People live lives wholly and unconditionally devoted to so much less than Christ.

It seems so daunting now, but I know that this life is but a vapor. Before I know it I'll be on the other side of eternity, and I'll see just how short this life really is. Will I be able to look back on it and say that I gave my all? Or will I look back and see that I slept in most mornings because I didn't really believe in the lateness of the hour?

I want to see the former. I want to stand before the Lord and know that I prayed and I studied and I preached and I worshiped and I gave like I believed Him. I want to be found faithful when He calls.