The Book of Eli

This is the second time I have seen this movie. The first time was the night before my life would change forever. My heart is sentimentally heavy as I watch tonight. It's not the best movie ever, but it will always be the movie I watched the night before my life changed forever.

The first time I saw this movie was the evening of January 16, 2010. My best friend and I went out for the evening to spend quality time together before I would leave on January 17 for my first trip to Liberia. My first trip to West Africa. My first trip to the developing world. My first international trip since surrendering my heart and life to God's calling.

When I was in 6th grade, I first knew God was calling me to serve him internationally. I remember waking up in the middle of the night strongly impressed that God was asking me to go to China to share Jesus with the people there. At that age, I was terrified of flying, and I remember sitting in the living room with my dad and bawling for several minutes before I could even catch my breath to tell him what was wrong. When I finally could speak, my only words were "I don't want to go to China." As I regained composure, I was able to describe to Daddy the calling I was sensing. We talked things through, and I was finally able to sleep.

But I said no.

I failed to follow God's call.

I went instead to Philadelphia that summer with my church youth group. We had two flat tires on the way to Philly, and I remember the driver turning around and making a joke about Jonah and the storm God put in his path as he ran from his calling. The joke was not funny to me. I knew I was Jonah. I don't know if I am literally the cause of the flat tires, but I will never forget the lesson God taught me with those tires.

The next several years, I was free of the burden of the call. I all but forgot about it. Perhaps God was waiting until I proved trustworthy to reissue the call.

At just the right time, the reissue happened.  Out of a lemonade machine at Chick Fil A, God spoke. Have I written about that experience here before? It was and is so real. I consider that machine my burning bush. I was an employee at CFA and had just taken an order. I turned to fill a cup with lemonade and clearly heard God speak, calling me again to go.  It was such strange timing. I had not been thinking about spiritual things at all. I was just doing my job, and boom. There God was. I imagine Moses felt similarly when he was just watching his sheep and all of a sudden was being called out from a burning bush.

And I said yes.

I decided to follow God's call.

I signed up to go with West Africa Crossroads Corporation to Liberia.  On January 16, 2010, the old me saw The Book of Eli at Regal Atlantic Station with Amanda. On January, 17, 2010, the old me boarded a plane to Liberia, where on January 18, 2010, the old me became a new me.

I like this movie.
-mo

how far I've come from going far!

just found in my room these lists I made in February 2000 (9th grade). where I wanted to be in 5 years and then in 10 years. fun to read!

I am so glad God took over my dreams and is working to make His dreams come true for my life. Can't imagine more joy than this!
-mo

Dreams... Dreams... Dreams...

I was at the old Sandersville Pizza Hut with a random group of people. My sister Joy got mad at me and poked me in the eyelid with a CapriSun straw while spraying water into my eye. She continued to poke and spray for a long time, and I just sat there and let it happen. When she finally stopped, I went to the restroom to assess the damage to my eye. The entire eye was bloody and popping out of my head. I tried to pop it back in, but it fell out. I put it in my mouth and went outside to get help. When I walked outside, I was no longer at Pizza Hut. Now I was in the back yard of the last location of my mom's store PCE. I pulled the eye out of my mouth to check on it, and the iris fell off of it like a contact. Now I had to be careful to keep the iris and the eyeball both safe. The iris went back in my mouth, and the ball stayed in my hand. Charlie Chastain (older gentleman at my church now in Atlanta) drove up and, wanting to help, offered me his ear. He pulled off his right ear, which came off with the whole right side of his face, and he gave it to me. So, now I stand by the road with an iris in my mouth, an eyeball in my right hand, and an ear plus half a face in my left hand. Somehow, I am still able to answer the phone when mama calls to tell me that Sandra Franklin (my parents' nextdoor neighbor, who works in customer service at Thiele Kaolin Company) said that if my eyeball were punctured, I would have to come into her office to have it fixed. So, I got in Mr. Charlie's car to go to Mrs. Sandra's office to get my eye fixed.
The End.


WHAT THE HECK KIND OF DREAM IS THAT????

Pinch me.

The older I have gotten, the more I have wondered if I will ever be done with school and free to start "real life." I am soooooo tired of being a student and just about to the point that I don't want to learn anything else. ever.

But, Sunday, as I sat in church thinking back over my Sunday school lesson, I realized I am living my dream! We had talked about Paul's exclamation in Philippians 1 that "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." I can pretty honestly say I am at a place in life where this is true for me. Even when the specifics of life are annoying or boring, the whole of life is an exciting pursuit of Christ in me, the hope of glory!

As a child, I looked up to adults who somehow managed to maintain a genuine faith and zeal for the Christ-life. There weren't many of them, but I dreamt of becoming one of the few. Now, I am an adult. Although I'm still in school, still not living "real life," still don't have a "real job," I am living my dream. I am living for Jesus, and He is living for me. I couldn't dream of anything more.

-mo

rescue

Dream 1:
I have seen this lady before. She is blind, and she only exists in my dreams. She stands downtown in the triangle at Edgewood, Decatur, and Peachtree. And she cries out for help. In dreams past, I have not exactly ignored her; I have acknowledged her, but I have walked past without offering the help for which she pleads. Last night, though, her cry was different.

"Melissa, help me!"

She said my name! This time, I have no choice. I stop. I listen to her story. She had been in a house fire, where her corneas had been scorched, leaving her blind and helpless. She desperately wants to see again, and somehow, she thinks I might lead her to health. I do. I take her to a doctor, and as my dream ends, I add to my student debt to pay for her surgical healing.

****wake up****
****fall back asleep****

Dream 2:
My family and I are swimming in the ocean. My parents' dogs Ruthie and Smokey (in reality, Smokey is now deceased) play on the beach until Smokey decides he must be nearer his momma, and he jumps in. He swims okay, but he panics and turns back toward the shore. The undertow is strong; he paddles with all his little Boston Terrier might, but he makes no headway. He begins to cry. I swim to him, tuck him under my right arm, and deliver him safely back to Ruthie's side.

****wake up****

I have thought about these dreams all day today. Especially in dream 1, the blind woman's cry for my help is sobering. In my dreams, I have passed her so many times thinking I could not offer what she needed. She knew better. These two dreams remind me of two types of people in my world - two particular friends, in fact: 1) those who are blind, cannot see a cure, and cry out daily for help and 2) those who can see glimpses of their safe haven between the waves but who are drowning trying to reach shore. For both of these individuals, I hold the answer. I know the Healer; I know the One who controls the waves with the sound of His voice. I know Jesus. I know salvation. My blind and paddling friends are calling out to me for help. What will be my response?