Fall Programming

There are many reasons that fall is my favorite season of the year: football, the cool, crisp air, the changing of the leaves, the anticipation of the holidays being just around the corner. Another reason I love fall is that it marks an end to the reruns of summer television and the beginning of new shows. There is always a little bit of a tug-a-war around my house over television watching. My wife likes all the reality shows: The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in The Real World Dancing with The Stars Plus Eight. I cannot stand those shows. The last thing I want to watch is a reality show. Everyday life is a reality show for me. When I watch television, I want an escape from reality. I want shows that are about fake people living fake lives working for fake organizations (think Jack Bauer working for the fictional government organization known as CTU.) I want, for 30 minutes or an hour, to escape from reality and to simply enjoy a drama that is not real life, but created in the mind of some Hollywood writer.

But one of the things that is a must for me is that the characters and the plot of the show have to follow the ground rules laid out by the show. I'm fine with Superman flying, but Superman cannot suddenly be immune to kryptonite. The ground rules of the show state that kryptonite destroys Superman's powers. I'm fine with the characters on Lost traveling though different time periods as long as they follow the ground rules of the show. (by the way, they'd better fully explain the smoke monster sometime during this last season). I'm fine with Claire on Heroes having the ability to heal herself, but she cannot suddenly develop some other power that violates the ground rules of the show. Everyone must operate within the physical, spiritual, astrological, or whatever rules of the plot laid out by the writers of the show.

The greatest plot in history is about Jesus Christ coming into the world, becoming human, and ultimately giving his life for the sins of humanity. When an angel comes to a young teenage girl named Mary and tells her that she is going to have this child who will save the world, Mary replies, "Impossible. Cannot happen. I'm a virgin. This violates the ground rules of the show." The angel responds by telling her that she will give birth to this child, even though she is a virgin, and then says: "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

Is there something going on in your life today that you just do not believe God can change? Have you laid out the ground rules in your mind and believe that it is impossible for God to work in your situation? Have you figured that your problem is so big that it is impossible for even God to handle?

Maybe the best thing you could do for yourself today is to find a Bible and read the story found in Luke 1. Perhaps today God wants you to renew your faith in Him that even though certain things seem physically, spiritually, astrologically, or whatever impossible in your life, that our God is so big and powerful that He can intervene and work miracles in your situation.