A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

Donald Miller’s latest book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is a dangerous book. Do not read this book unless you are ready to radically alter your life. Donald wrestles with the idea of editing his life for the script of the Blue Like Jazz movie. What would it look like to edit our lives? If we could take our story and turn it into the thing that movies are made of, how would we live?

This idea is so incredible to think of. Don takes us through his process of creating a story from his life that is work putting onto film. The transformation from sitting on the couch watching TV, to hiking the Inca Trail and riding a bike across America. Using the elements that go into a good story and applying them to his life, Don shows us what a good story can be. He shows us not just the impact it will have upon our own lives, but the intoxicating effect on those around us.

In the book there is one story in particular that really affected me. One of Don’s friends had a daughter who was living a poor story. So the father decides that their family will create a story that she will want to be a part of.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone who wants to live a better story.

The Microwaved Life

So last night I was at a friend's house having dinner with a group of people. We had just finished dinner and were sitting around the table discussing a certain question that had come up: "Why are you still a Christian?" Now I could write books on that question and the implications and answer(s) to it. But that is not the purpose of this post. Throughout the conversation, one of the guys was talking about the difficulties of living as Jesus wants us to. He made a wonderful, simple, yet very profound statement: "Why can there just be like a microwave for this?"

How wonderful is that statement? We go through life doing our best to follow Jesus. We know that we cannot truly attain any holiness on our own, but rather we have to rely on God. It's a long and difficult process. Somedays I just wish there was a microwave for this life.

I started thinking about that statement. And it's completely clear why there is no proverbial microwave. Have you ever heard Jim Gaffigan's Hot Pockets Stand up bit? He talks about how you are always excited when you put the hot pocket in the microwave but feel like death afterwards. It's really funny, because it's true. Microwaves just destroy everything that you put into them. The destroy all good nutrients instantly with the incredible heat they put out. The only thing that is left after 2 minutes is a soggy (the crisping sleeve never really works) nuclear hot, carb and "meat" disaster area with cheese spilling out of one side. Microwaves are fast, but they ruin everything that goes into them.

I'm pretty sure that's why God doesn't microwave our lives.

God wants to grow us into incredible people. He loves us like we could never believe. He wants to slow roast us. I was watching a show on the Food Network, I can't remember what it was now, but they would slow roast whole halves of pigs in a smoker for 18 hours. Then you can literally pull the pork off the bone with your hands. It is so soft and juicy. It makes some of the best barbecue in the whole world.

That's how God wants our lives to be. He slow roasts us for a lifetime. He constantly makes sure that the right temperature is used. He tends the pit, lovingly knowing that we are truly something worth all this time.

So lets all wait for God's timing in everything. He is slow roasting us so that we come out perfect, sure, it takes a lot longer, but this way we won't end up with cheese spilling out through our sides.

Grace and Peace