Trusting like Tom Cruise

I am often up late at night, and quite frankly, the TV that is on between 2am and 5am leaves a lot to be desired. I don't want to cleanse my colon. I don't need to buy a total gym. And I'm really not interested in any aspect of "male enhancement."

When I'm feeling ok, I tend to keep the TV off and do work on the computer. However, when my health makes me feel weak and exhausted, a good movie is often just what I need. This past weekend, I felt exceptionally wiped out, so imagine my intrigue when I saw that the movie Minority Report was going to be on at 2:30am!

A) It was a movie I'd never seen before.
B) It was NOT the millionth showing of The Wedding Planner.

I tend to favor light, upbeat movies, so I was cautious about Minority Report. I didn't know much about the plot, and action movies can often turn dark and violent, proving to disturb me more than distract me. However, I was in a mood to take a risk, and a brief plot summary described Tom Cruise fighting crime in the future by arresting criminals before they commit their crimes. Neat.

I started watching and got roped in right away by Steven Spielberg's masterful special effects. The concept of fighting "pre-crime" with "pre-cogs" was also interesting. Having no "pre-conceived" ideas (ha.) or expectations, it was a wonderful surprise to enjoy the exciting suspense from beginning to end.

Anyway, there's one scene in particular that I want to share because it relates so closely with what I'm going through with God. To set it up, Tom Cruise is being chased, and he has with him a girl (Agatha) who perfectly knows what the future holds. Watch as he struggles to trust Agatha when all his instincts are screaming for him to do the opposite of what she says:



As she tells him to wait, exposed and without protection, Tom's character has no understanding of why. He simply has to lean on her understanding of the future, trusting that she has his best interest at heart the whole time.

I reflected today on how we are so much like Tom's character when we find ourselves in problems that God does not solve right away. It can be baffling why God tells us to "wait, wait, wait" when we are exposed and vulnerable to danger, pain, and grief. But if we trust God's infinite knowledge and his perfect plan, we find his navigation is always superior to ours. He is always our loving, good, and faithful shepherd. If God is asking you to wait in a tough place today, remember this movie scene and how trusting God is so very similar.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6