The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.
-Buechner

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Revisit

I've often thought about revisiting one of my '08 posts. One in particular one has been on my mind quite a bit recently and, after reading the post of a mother whose dreams were changed - morphed - the moment she birthed her beautiful little girl, I was motivated to share (part of) it again.

I think it's important to revisit these moments. The ones where life seemed flawlessly shimmery. The times before we 'really' knew what life had in store. Because, as I reflect upon perhaps some of the naivety of the time, or perhaps it was the euphoric optimism, I think it's important to retrace steps and relive some of those early thoughts. The post below refreshes in my mind, the reason for all this. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think, "what if we hadn't chosen this path". And for a brief second I think about the heartache that wouldn't have been suffered. The tears saved, the emotional exhaustion we would have avoided.

I wouldn't trade it.

Ever.

You remember the Matrix, right? Well, here we go...

Ross discusses the scene from the Matrix, (ever seen this blockbuster?) when Neo has the choice between taking the blue or the red pill. Honestly, I am not a fan of this movie. I don't like anything with a touch of sci-fi...but this analogy is striking.

Choosing the blue pill would allow Neo would wake up believing that his visit with Morpheus had just been a dream. The red pill would open Neo up to see the world as it truly exists. As Morpheus tells him, “All I’m offering is the truth … nothing more."

How often do we make this choice? Choosing truth over anything else...

Some. Thing. Else. Any. Thing. Else.

And then Ross reminds us of something else:

These are the moments that shape us. With the truth lying before you, the only decision that remains is what you will do with that knowledge - accept it or hide from it.

We make dozens of choices daily. Sometimes trivial. Sometimes life changing.

I remember the day we chose to take the Red Pill...the path less known, less beaten down. The one, however, with a light so gleaming at the end, that we would have been remiss not to have taken it. No longer a dream, the path of adoption was now a reality. I can't imagine having chosen the other, blue pill. Seeing the dream as nothing more than that. A dream. Simply something "others do". Something to regret in a couple of years.

The choice has strengthened our faith. It has opened our eyes to the realities of the world. Extreme Poverty. Child trafficking. Illness. Disease. Hope. Love. Grace. Faith. Selflessness. Sacrifice. Truth Of What Happens At The Foot Of The Cross. It has brought us closer to real truth.

Now, while I don't necessarily think we are doing absolutely everything that we can. I know we are doing more. More than 1 year ago. More than even 10 months ago. Right now, that is enough. It won't always be, but for now we take one day at a time.

So, when presented with two pills which one will you take?

The Blue - dream - Pill.
or
The Red - reality - Pill.

The Red Pill stirs up Passion. It seeks Knowledge. It provokes Action. It may accompany (or better yet) trigger a Turning Point in your life. It encourages Growth. It enables Truth through Restlessness - the desire to no longer let the world pass us by.

I want to be the change that I want to see in others. This is how I will begin.

I've never grown into a better person through dreams.

1 comment:

Dana said...

What an inspiring post. Thanks for writing it. I choose RED.

Dana