Spoiler Alert

This week, while digging around through some old memories, I found a video that I made on Norah’s second birthday where Anna starts to whine and complain about basically everything because she’s jealous that her little sister is getting presents, cake and lots of attention. For a while she complained about the gifts, then the weather, then the fact that she wanted to go see some geese instead of playing on the playground. By the time we got home, she was so over the whole thing that in the middle of Norah playing with one of her presents on camera, Anna shouted out, “I want it to be MY birthday!” This video simply cracks me up because Anna is the sweetest and most gracious and thoughtful little girl... in fact, most of the time it’s hard to imagine her having such a selfish outburst, but hey, she was a little kid once like the rest of us! She had to grow into the girl she is now, and her having that moment on film is really kind of hard to believe...

Have you ever watched a movie where the bad guy turns into a good guy at the end? Now, have you ever gone back and watched that movie again? It’s hard to see that antagonist the same way because you know they’re gonna change! It’s not that the bad stuff they do isn’t bad, but you’re not as freaked out or tense about it because you know that in the end, Scrooge is going to be Tiny Tim’s best friend... in the end, Darth Vader is gonna take off that mask and Anakin Skywalker will finally smile on the face of his son... in the end, Edmond Pevensie and even Eustace Clarence Scrubb come to love Aslan... in the end, that food critic, Anton Ego in “Ratatouille” becomes Remy’s biggest fan in Paris... in the end, Professor Snape... well, I better not tell you everything that happens there, but you get the point! When the bad guy changes, and you watch it again, you see that person in a whole new light... why? Because, you know the end! You know how awesome they will be when it’s all over!

In Mark 10, a rich young man comes to Jesus and asks Him what it takes to get eternal life. Jesus tells him one thing, the guy says he’s done it all, so Jesus tells him to sell all of his many possessions and give to the poor, then come follow. The young man’s face fell and he walked away from Jesus because he wasn’t willing to part with his great wealth. What if Jesus asked you to do one thing and you weren’t willing to do it... how would you feel? How would Jesus feel about you? Would He be disappointed? Angry?

Right before Jesus mentioned the one thing this young man was unwilling to do, Mark tells us something really cool: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Jesus knows the future. He was constantly predicting stuff that happened before it happened... He knew that this young man was going to walk away, and yet, Jesus looked at him, not with anger or disappointment or frustration, but with love in His eyes... why? Because Jesus already knew the rest of the story and He knew that this moment was just part of this young man’s growth. Some folks even believe this was Mark himself who went on to give his whole heart and life to Jesus without holding back.

When I watch that old home movie of Anna, I have to laugh. I’m not frustrated or disappointed. You see, I know her now and she is so amazing... so generous and kind. Wow. That’s the way Jesus loves you and me. He already knows who you are going to be one day, perfected in His love. He knows that our stumbles and struggles are the things making us grow. He has already seen the end of this movie and that’s the way He loves us... the way He has, the way He does and the way He will when it’s all said and done.

P.S. Here's that old birthday video for those of you who'd like to see it:

Wish It Were My Birthday from James Younger on Vimeo.