(1 minute, 38 seconds)
Personally, I have a beef with Mr. Incredible in the 2004 movie “The Incredibles.” After lying to his wife for an extended period of time about losing his job, Mr. Incredible steps back into the world of superhero business without being forthright with his wife, Elastigirl.
She assumes her husband is faithfully plodding along at an insurance job, working in an office cubical all day long. In reality he is having the time of his life eating shrimp cocktails, drinking mimosas, and fighting bad guys.
If you can get past his indiscretion (it took me a while), this movie has some wonderfully redemptive themes. I think one particular scene in this movie is relevant and instructive in our walk of faith and obedience to God.
Fearing her husband is in trouble, Elastigirl borrows an airplane and sets out to find him. After being airborne for a bit, Elastigirl is dismayed to realize her kids, Violet and Dash, are clandestine passengers. Suddenly, bad guys begin firing missiles at her aircraft and the plane is blasted to bits as the three plummet and plunge into the water below.
Surfacing, the three family members realize they are a long distance from land. As they regroup, bobbing and treading water, a conversation ensues:
“We’re dead! We’re dead!! We survived, but we are dead!” (Dash, freaking out)
“That way is our best bet.” (Elastigirl, in control and calmly pointing toward an unseen shore)
“You wanna go TOWARD the people that tried to kill us?” (Dash again, distrusting and incredulous)
“If it means land, yes” (Elastigirl, confident, unwavering)
“You expect us to SWIM there?” (Violet, mumbling sarcastically)
Their mom answers:
“I EXPECT you (dramatic pause) to trust me.”
Waiting on God for an answer or resolution to an issue (kids, work, school, finances, physical suffering, relational issues…) might, like Dash, cause temporary freak-outs or be paralyzingly difficult, especially when it looks and feels like we are in the middle of an ocean of problems without a good solution.
That is,
unless we look beyond our situation into the face of the only One who is entirely trustworthy,
unless we look into the character of our infinitely kind Shepherd,
unless we turn our gaze to our Savior and His eternal record of perfect faithfulness and goodness.
Especially in places that seem illogical and nearly impossible to give thanks, let’s trust the heart of our gracious, all-wise God. Offer a sacrifice of thanks today and every day as you trust Him.
It’s what He expects of His beloved.
“Give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
Why?
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
-Psalm 100:5
“God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too good to be unkind. And, when you can’t trace His hand, you can always trust His heart.”
– Charles H. Spurgeon