Happy Groundhog day (Belated)

As you may know, (or if you don’t watch the local news, you probably didn’t know) on February 2, our country gathered together to discern the will of God via a rodent. Essentially. Kinda. Ok, maybe that’s a little bit of a stretch.
When I think our Groundhog Day holiday (which I celebrate privately), the first thing that always seems to come to my mind is a movie. Perhaps one of our country’s finest contributions to the realm of cinema. The movie I’m talking about is of course, Groundhog Day. One of Bill Murray’s best movies, right alongside with Caddyshack and What About Bob?

The whole premise of the movie is this (taken from IMDB.com):

A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. First he uses this to his advantage, then comes the realization that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day.

I have to admit that a lot of times I feel like Phil Conners. I feel like I’m stuck on “February 2nd,” a day that I’ve already lived a thousand times, nothing changing, nothing new, just the same crap, on the same day, forever. Wake-up, grab that cup of coffee and my lunch box, drive to work, fold boxes for 12 hours, drive home, watch tv for two hours, pass out. Again, and again, and again. Doomed.

You see, a lot of times I struggle with bitterness and some depression. So often I’m good at looking at my friends and acquaintances and seeing all of their successes. I’m really good at that, actually. I see them living their dreams with everything falling right into place for them, so nice and neat. I try and listen to them share about their struggles, and empathize with them.

Question #1: What makes me think that I’m not exactly where God wants me?

Answer: Because I think I know better than God? That’s humbling to just be typing this right now; this is the type of transparency that I don’t like. God is ridiculously awesome! I, however, am not. God orchestrates the Universe! I struggle with the game monopoly. God is the great I AM! I am fallen, finite, weak, and self-centered.

Question #2: How do you break free from Groundhog day?

Answer: This could be as simple or as complex as you want, and I wish I was wise enough to have broken free from my “Groundhog day” on my own accord. However, this has been a process that I have been in for the past month or so. One of the verses that I have been meditating on at work has been Lamantations 3:22-23, which says this:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I believe that this verse shares with us the essential truth that God is always with us and it is impossible for us to escape his hand, his sight, and his plan, where ever we go (Joshua 1:9). All good things come from him (James 1:17). Even on Groundhog day. It’s our choice to see the world around us as a servant to us, or a servant to its creator. It’s our choice to see “what is owed” to us, or see the blessings that are already surrounding us. This is the message I preach to myself. This is the sin I confess. This is the joy I express!

Mark

Is there nothing to sing about to-day? Then borrow a song from to-morrow; sing of what is yet to be. Is this world dreary? Then think of the next. —C.H. Spurgeon

This is hilarious.
 Anyone who knows Brittany, knows she always gets stuff stuck in her teeth (she blames it on her fake tooth) and this reminds me of her.