Transformed.

So the other day I’m having a conversation with someone about how sometimes the things that we least expect, are the things that shape our faith and our journey with God. Stuff like a quote from a movie that seemingly has nothing to do with being a Christian.

Such a thing happens to me every time I watch the Transformers movies. How random I hear you cry! How can a movie about robots from outer space who pretty much destroy everything around them, having pretty much the same fight in each of the movies have anything to say?

Yeah, you could argue with me about the fact that they’ve not done justice to the amazing plastic toys from the 80’s, and the CGI could be better in places, and I don’t care that the way they turn from robots into cars and back again wouldn’t work that way – but you know I don’t really care. For me the stories are amazing, stories of love, loyalty, friendship and sacrifice – story lines that touch us to the core, that speak to the stuff God places at the heart of all of us.

But, as easy as it would be to get lost in these moments, one quote always makes me do a fist punch in the air (yep even in the cinema much to my husband’s embarrassment) – Sam and the new found love of his life (Mikaela) find themselves having to run for safety, when a car pulls up telling them to get inside. Mikaela – understandably – is less that keen – when Sam looks her in the eye and says:

“50 years from now, when you’re looking back at your life, don’t you want to say that you had the guts to get in the car?”

I LOVE IT! He wants to look back on his life and know that he lived with NO regrets.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to say that same, not about getting in a car that turns into a robot, that’s never going to happen, but that I look back at my journey in faith, my adventure with God and know that I don’t have any regrets!

Personally, I believe that I follow a saviour who never said it was going to be easy, he didn’t even say that it would be a laugh a minute stroll in the park, however, he did say that it would be worth it –it’s the way to freedom (Luke 4:18) and a full life (John 10:10). But I want to know that I had the guts to follow Him - wherever. No questions asked.

In The Guardian yesterday, a palliative care nurse was writing about the top 5 regrets of her patients who are dying. They are:

1.    I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2.  I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

3.  I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4.  I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5.  I wish that I had let myself be happier

When people are forced to look at their life, how many people look back and wish they’d ‘got in the car’?

50 years from now, when I look back at my life, I want to be able to say that I stepped out in faith, I took the chance, I counted the cost and took the leap. I want to look back and know that I lived life to the full, in the sense that Jesus meant it, I want to be able to look people in the eye and say that I live a life with no regrets. Transformed.

Father, may your will be done.