Spy Kids

My three kiddos loved to pretend that they were spies when they were young, especially my sons ... but even Meghann got in on the act. She was usually the secretary who gave the "spies" their missions, or she handed out the various "high-tech" gadgets they needed to accomplish their assigned tasks. I don't remember where the spy game came from, if they created it from their vivid imaginations or if some movie or television show inspired them. I do remember, however, that they would spend hours and hours having a great time in make-believe spy world. This morning at church, my little movie buddy leaned over and asked if we could go see a movie today and said she'd like to see the latest installment of the Spy Kids series. As I drove home from church, I smiled as I remembered my three little kiddos and their own spy kids adventures.

Quite honestly, I didn't expect the movie today to be very good ... I suppose I should know by now to trust my little friend's judgment in choosing movies because she hasn't picked a bad one yet. There were lots and lots of gadgets, a ton of action and of course, good guys and bad guys. There was even a talking dog (with a British accent, I might add ... think canine Bond, James Bond) who had a whole set of robotic tricks up his paws ... and his tail. Nuff said on that one. While the eventual outcome of the plot was more than predictable, it was the basic premise of the storyline that struck me. I'll give you a hint ... the subtitle of the film was "All the Time in the World." The bad guys had this device that stole time, and if someone didn't stop them, time would run out. The main bad guy wanted to travel back in time so that he could do things differently, change the course of time. Oh, and the name of the time-stealing device? The Armageddon Device. Yeah, I know, for someone like me who sees deep meaning in everything, my mind was off to the races at the first mention of the word Armageddon.

Sitting in the theater as the movie neared the end, tears pooled in my eyes as one of the kids spoke some really wise and insightful words to the bad guys. I realized the truth in the lines ... we can't go back in time ... all of us think we have all the time in the world ... we don't appreciate the time we have until it's gone. Over and over in the movie, one theme was repeated ... letting those you love know you love them, spending time with the ones you love, the importance of love and family. I couldn't help but think about my post yesterday ... in the end, all that matters is how I love God and how I love others. As I watched the movie this afternoon, God added another layer to the lesson He's been teaching me over the last week. Love is about time ... taking time, making time, appreciating time, never taking time for granted. I know, who would have ever thought that a movie like Spy Kids would have touched me so deeply? Just additional proof that God can choose any method or avenue He wants to speak to me, to teach me, to change me.

My prayer this evening has been that I will love with a pure heart ... that God will cause my soul to burn with a desire to spend my time wisely ... to spend my time loving ... that He will sear the truth of the fleeting nature of time deep into my mind and help me to treasure every single moment. I don't have all the time in the world ... I have the time He gives me ... the precious time He gives me.