To Blave

Ever seen The Princess Bride? It's a great movie! So funny, and so romantic. One of my favorite parts is when Inigo and Fezzik take The Man In Black (no, not Johnny Cash) to Miracle Max, and try to buy the Man's resurrection - well, it's not a true resurrection b/c he's only mostly dead. Now, even though True Love is the Noble Cause of the movie, it's not really what wins out in this resurrection ceremony - True Love isn't the reason why Max does the miracle.

God uses everything for good - even in the movies. You see, Miracle Max only agreed to do the miracle after he heard that Westley (Man In Black) would embarrass Humperdink (watch the movie if you're not tracking). Revenge was the motivation that won out here. But, in the end, it really was True Love that triumphed.
And I see that quite often in my life. There are many actions and motivations that are not pure, or "Right", however, somehow - some way - God brings good out of it. This is the wonder and mystery of God - of Love. He always gives, He always uplifts and calls forth the best.

It's so easy to become cynical in this world. Everywhere we look we see the effects of a fallen world. But, if that's what we see, we don't see the Truth. Jesus died to redeem the fallen Creation. He rose from the grave to conquer death - once and for ALL. Whether you believe the Evangelical Gospel (you have to accept Christ's gift of life) or the Grace Gospel (He died, we're all saved, and there's nothing we can do or not do to undo it), the earth is spiritually redeemed. See, Man is the only Creation with a will; therefore, everything's else is surely redeemed. The world is redeemed!
If you're feeling cynical about this world, ask God to show it to you through His eyes. Let Him transform you by renewing your mind - ask Him to open the eyes of your heart to allow you to see a Holy Creation. It is a wonderful gift to see things from His perspective - even in a very limited sense. If we allow Him, He will expand our ability to comprehend His ways and His view.