The other night the Sons of Thunder and I watched one of my favorite movies,  Evan Almighty.

For the sake of this Thankful Thursday post here is just a little about the movie and how it ties into today.

Evan is a former news anchor who becomes a senator.  He sets out to change Washington and ultimately hopes to change the world.

Soon after arriving in D.C., his wife asks for God’s help make their family closer and she suggests that if  Evan wants to change the world, he too might want to pray to God.  So Evan does ask God to help him change the world.

Lesson one.  Don’t ask God to help you do something if you do not really mean it!

Soon God appears and asks Evan to build an ark.

Well, needless to say everyone thinks Evan has flat-out lost his mind and frankly, it does look like it.

From long hair to robes to the construction of a gigantic ark.

It is not a perfect reflection of God by any means, it is Hollywood remember,  but there are indeed many powerful messages throughout the entire movie.

Funny thing is Evan’s wife prayed for the family to be close and they were.  The boys were hanging out with their dad more than ever building this massive ark and having loads of fun with all the animals too. 

Lesson Two: Sometimes happiness doesn’t look any thing like we thought it would.  So be prepared for the unexpected.

Alright, it was an ark and Evan looked like a loon, but the kids had their dad and they were pretty happy. Evan is less and less uptight as the days go on and more focus on doing the right thing not the popular thing.

Lesson Three: Do not pray for something if you do not really want it and be prepared, your choice may be unpopular.

But the most powerful message occurs in a  scene where God is portraying a waiter at a restaurant.  He begins to talk with Evan’s wife, who has left Evan because she thinks he has lost his mind.

So here is what happens next.

This is the best part of the movie!

Gods says – “Let me ask you something

If someone prays for patience do you think God gives them patience or does he give them the opportunity to be patient.

And if they pray for courage does God make than courageous or does God give you the opportunity to be courageous.

And if someone prayed for the family to be close do you think that God zaps them with warm fuzzy feeling or does he give them the opportunity to love each other.”
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Yes!    That is it!    Think about it.    He gives us opportunity.

This is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, isn’t it?

We are given opportunity.

Opportunity to be loving

Opportunity to be courageous

Opportunity to be forgiving

Opportunity to be honest

Opportunity to be thankful

Opportunity to be kind

Opportunity to be whatever He has called us to be!

He gives us opportunity! Yes that is it, opportunity is the word for this Thankful Thursday!

And yes, Morgan Freeman makes a great God in my opinion. The voice is just too perfect.

But the true message is that God, our father, gives us opportunity to reflect a life of change, by the gospel of Jesus Christ often through opportunities that lie right in front of us every day.

Some opportunities will be easy to identify and some will not.

But our Heavenly Father is more amazing than any depiction Hollywood could ever come up with. This is a powerful reminder that God uses our experiences and opportunity to grow us as the people of God.

Lesson Four: God gives us opportunity to be changed people and if you pray to be changed, He may just bring you the opportunity to go along with it!

Evan does builds the ark with the help of his sons, saves a bunch of people, exposes corruption in Washington and ultimately grows very close to his family.

So hear is what I suggest, why not on this Thankful Thursday ask God to show you what opportunities He has put in your life to change you for the better.  And remember that what you pray for you just might get!

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today as we celebrate the opportunities that God has given us to be changed for the better.