Film Friday When Tom Michell arrives in his new post as teacher in an Argentinian school, he is unhappy in his work and he struggles to engage with the boys and keep their attention. When the school is shut for a few days he escapes to Uruguay where he stumbles across an oil-slicked penguin on a beach, and in spite of himself, he takes the seabird back to his hotel and washes him off. However, when he tries to return the bird to the sea, the creature is having none of it, and before he quite knows what has happened Tom has returned to Argentina with his new friend in his hand luggage. He doesn’t yet know it but this penguin will change his life.
In the book of Proverbs, chapter 20 v 30, it says sometimes it takes a difficult or painful experience to help us change our ways. I’m not sure that this penguin was a difficult experience for Tom, but it was certainly an unplanned one. God can sometimes surprise us with the things he uses to help us change direction. This new friend certainly helped Tom change direction.
When Simon Peter went fishing one night and caught nothing, he had no idea that the next day Jesus would give him a huge catch of fish and then invite him to give up fishing for a while and learn a whole new way of life. When Mary’s wedding plans were upended by an angel, she had no idea that she would be the mother of the one who rescue Dave Hopwood and billions of others down the ages. When Mary Magdalene went to anoint Jesus’ body in his tomb, she was hurt and shocked to find the body gone till a gardener who gave her the job of being the first ever witness to the resurrection. All kinds of unexpected moments which helped people encounter the Living God. And we may encounter surprising moments like this, which continue to help us to glimpse and meet God in our lives.
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