Evan

I recently saw a trailer for the movie, “Evan Almighty.”  With my interest piqued, I rented it to see how that trailer presented in context.  The movie was released in 2007, and stars Steve Carell as Evan Baxter, a newly elected Congressman who is contacted by God, played by Morgan Freeman, and tasked to build an ark.  While the movie was not nominated for best picture, it does have a cute factor, along with a couple of worthwhile, if not inspirational, quotes.

In the trailer, Evan’s wife, Joan, played by Lauren Graham, has left Evan to take the kids to her mother’s.  She and the kids are sitting in a restaurant as other diners are making fun of Evan on a newscast that is playing.  She sends the kids off to the restroom and summons the waiter.  The “waiter” is God, Morgan Freeman, who asks her if she’s all right.  She admits that no, she’s not, and Evan’s antics as “New York’s Noah,” building the ark come up.  In the conversation, Morgan Freeman, as God, says to her, “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”

Matthew 7:7:   “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

The door may not open exactly as we would like.  As we face an unexpected major repair on a car, rarely will a new Cadillac with a bow on the roof appear in the driveway, but maybe a credit card will send us a 0% offer about that time.  As we lament the end of a vacation that was too busy and did not afford us time to just be with family, maybe our connecting flight will be cancelled and we’ll be “stuck” in a hotel room, with no activities planned.

Opportunity.

Prayer: Heavenly Parent, as we seek remedy for our wants and needs, grant us opportunity, and grant us vision to see it.  Amen.

Bob Bullard