Back to the Beginning... of Summer

Fuel for the Storm

June 10th or maybe it was the 11th, we set forth for our annual cross country journey. We left Randolph and drove to Kildeer, Illinois to stay with my sister-in-law Tracey and her family for the weekend. Unfortunately, the night before we left there was a wild storm. In our four years in Nebraska, I had never woken up the family and taken them in to the basement ... until now that is! When I woke up in the middle of the night, I looked out the parsonage window, and the trees were nearly bent over sideways with the wind. I got the boys up and into the basement we went. When we awoke the next morning all was well, but I decided to take the nice slow leisurely route to Illinois, Route 20 East instead of going to high-speed Highway 80.

The stormy weather continued to follow us even the next day. Our intuitive (and beautiful) niece Kendall had her own hypothesis about this phenomenon of our bringing storms with us wherever we go. Her theory is that whenever our family is together and we see her, the weather is beautiful. In the summer, when we go in several different directions, that is when the storms set in. So true in so many ways! Well, with the storms in charge, our day at the pool quickly morphed into a day at the movies.

Before we went to the movies, we stopped to get fueled up on my favorite Dunkin Donuts coffee and some donuts. Little did I know, that this would come back to haunt me later in the day. Of course, as we were taking this picture outside of the shop, a gracious passer-by offered to take the shot for us. He almost changed his mind when he got behind the camera and spied my Steelers hat, but luckily, he took the picture anyway. It is a tough year to be a Steelers fan, isn't it? Anyway, we'll come back to these character issues later on...

We went to see Karate Kid. (Check out the website. http://www.karatekid-themovie.com/) Even though I am not a fan of violence (as in bully beatings and unethical karate moves), I have to say I got a lot out of this movie. I remember watching the first round of these films in the 80's, and this movie was the same formula with a modern day twist. Here is the summary from Columbia Pictures... "12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life".

I am sure that the critics panned the cliches throughout and the predictability of the plot, but I am a sucker for the lessons about good character. Having moved around this great country of ours, I could identify with the fact that cultural differences do exist and sometimes they are obstacles not only to friendship, but to understanding as a whole. Bullies... bluck! I am so glad that Mr. Han was there for Dre, and Dre saved Mr. Han from himself. The whole subplot about respect, responsibility and perseverance along with the powerful imagery or cinematography in the film was what really packed the punch for me. (Get it? Packed the punch... ya, ya...okay) Mr. Han's role illustrated that it is in service to one another that we are freed from our own darkness. By focusing on service to others and confronting injustices where they exist, we are able to prioritize what is really important. It doesn't matter if you are a NFL quarterback for the most powerful team in football history pulling in millions of dollars every year or an apartment maintenance person or a classroom teacher or an assembly line worker- we are called to build God's kingdom by loving and serving all!

Niece Kendall and nephew Tyler really loved it too... so much so that Colin, Ian and Tyler were karate chopping for the rest of the day. Loving and serving can sometimes take many different forms!