Rewatching television
All evidence points to the fact that God is preparing you for your task--whether you've realize it or not!
One of the two or three perks of adulthood, compared to childhood, is reliving the exciting shows and movies you loved as a kid, now as an adult.
Huh—I guess that’s really just another point in favor of childhood…
Recently, my family has been gathering to watch Doctor Who—a show we watched when I was in high school, though we never caught up with the most recent episodes. Watching familiar shows, with enough distance that we’ve forgotten some details (except for my screenwriter brother who apparently remembers everything he has ever seen on television and film), is a great bonding activity. It’s a bit of fun, a bit of nostalgia. But you can also approach the rewatched media with your knowledge of what happens at the end of the story.
Many people actually rewatch shows specifically for this reason. I’ve heard of many people who put on The Office or Friends in the background to provide some background noise or basic stimulation, though because they’ve seen it, it doesn’t require 100% of their attention. I also know that some people with anxiety like rewatching their favorite dramas because they can relive the thrill but also not have their anxiety triggered by suspense and surprises.
If you really think about it, this even explains the appeal of formulaic Hallmark movies. We know—every single time—the guy and girl will end up together. Even when they fight because the guy is lying about being really into cats with sweaters, or the girl seems like she’s going to marry the uptight businessman who has a Bluetooth headset permanently embedded in his ear… it’s always a happy ever after. We know what to expect.
A rewatch gives us clarity and insight. Maybe the twists don’t give us a thrill anymore, but seeing how the twists were foreshadowed—wow, that’s a high!
One of the shows my family first watched together in my youth was Lost, a show famous for intrigue and twists and suspense. Years later, I watched Lost with a friend who had never seen it. From my vantage point of roughly remembering what happened in the eight seasons of the show, I could better pick up many aspects of the wonderful storytelling, how the tiniest details ended up paying off big time. She felt the exhilaration and burning curiosity to figure out what that hatch was hiding—but I could enjoy the show for a different reason. I saw how the pieces fit together and found enjoyment in experiencing the plot again with my foreknowledge.
I only wish, you know, that we had this kind of foreknowledge in our real lives.
But we don’t.
I don’t know how my story is going to end. I’m on season 26 of my life and, hopefully, it’ll be renewed for many more seasons. This has probably been one of the strangest seasons and possibly one of the most emotional, as my character arc included the death of a marriage and the death of my father. Yeah, and the holiday specials didn’t get the ratings we hoped… but this half of the season looks like they hired some better writers!
There’s no way to tell what’s in store next, but I do have the ability to see what’s happened before and to see how that’s prepared me for where I am now. And although my life isn’t as coherent as a good TV show, I can see the hints and clues and happenstances that lead me to be ready for where I am today.
A few weeks ago, before North America froze over, I took a late-night walk to discover my purpose. I was wrestling with what to do with my life and what steps to take next. I contemplated how my various jobs all taught me things about my interests, skills, and joys. While I’ve done different things in my adult life, most of my bill-paying jobs have centered around church ministry and education. And on that walk, it dawned on me something that should have been so strikingly obvious: my purpose in life combines my theological study, ministry experience, and educational background.
I realized that I had been sleeping on a calling that I was uniquely suited to do—to bridge the worlds of Biblical scholarship, the latest education science, and the practical needs of churches. The random paths were leading somewhere and I didn’t realize it. You see, I had gotten a Master’s degree with hopes of doing a Biblical Studies Ph.D. before that dream fell apart. I worked in church ministry, never feeling like congregational ministry was my place, but I was qualified to do it. And I only started in education out of a desperate need for a job.
What seemed like failures and detours were, strangely, signposts on the road to discovering how I can bless the world.
But enough of that—I’ll tell you my diabolical plans later. I only relate that story to explain how, maybe, just maybe, you’ve been prepared this entire time to bless the world with what you have to uniquely offer.
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
-Ephesians 2:10
Scripture is filled with narratives that work out like this! Filled to the brim. So many that you can’t ignore them.
Joseph, by happenstance of being sold into slavery and then ending up in prison, met the right people who eventually got him into the second highest position in Egypt so he could save whole nations from starvation.
Moses, though he complained he wasn’t worthy, “was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22) and was in a unique position to advocate for Israel in front of Pharaoh.
David grew up skilled with a sling as a shepherd defending his flock, and his skill combined with faith in God compelled him to take on the giant Goliath who no one dared challenge.
Peter, John, and the other disciples, precisely because they weren’t educated or really that significant, served as witnesses to the power and proficiency of the Spirit through their incredible speeches, deeds, miracles, and legacy.
Paul was trained with some of the best Greek and best Jewish education available, so, being a man of both “Athens” and “Jerusalem,” could effectively bridge the gap between Jews and Gentiles.
We often miss how it’s all coming together. But heed the words of Mordecai, who persuaded Esther to use the position she found herself in, merely by the coincidence of her beauty: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Who knows…
I get it. Hindsight is 20-20 and foresight is… well… spotty. But, please, let the testament of Scripture and your experience of seeing the disparate pieces move together propel you to hope. Even when it doesn’t seem like things are working out, or when life feels random, aimless, it’s helpful to see this alleged chaos as a training ground for what’s in store in your future. Or maybe you already have exactly what you need and you just must connect the dots.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
-2 Corinthians 4:17-18
The threads will intertwine, the story will come together. You’ll one day be going “Ooooohhh. I get it! I see what that meant! That all makes sense now.” Our lives are filled with secret foreshadows, side plots that will pay off later, and throwaway lines that will later spawn whole storylines. God doesn’t send us on a mission without equipping us.
There is a purpose for you, rest assured. Maybe the groundwork has already been laid. Maybe it’s still being constructed. But one day, either on earth or in heaven, you’ll see that God has been preparing you this whole time.
We need only to pay attention.
Question of the Week
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How was your life prepared you for where you are now or where you are heading?
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Great article, Jake. Great writing.