Narnia's Prince Caspian...An Unexpected Reaction

I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian yesterday with a couple of friends. First, let me say, this is an excellent movie...go see it! It's rated PG, but be warned about bringing little kids (I would not bring my 6 or 5 year olds...far too scary and violent for their little eyes.) I'm not a very critical movie-goer though. A friend of mine talks about whether a movie was "well done" or not...I couldn't tell you one way or the other. I either like a movie or I don't, and most of the time I like it. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and got totally sucked into it. I love that...when the real world falls away and I get to go be somewhere else for a while. Know what I mean?

But I had the strangest reaction to it, and I've been feeling so down ever since leaving the theater. I've been thinking a lot about why I'm struggling, and I think the bottom line is this: I am homesick.

It's strange for a movie to make me feel this way, I realize. But do you know what it is? It's this face:


Okay, now I understand that this is an animated depiction of a lion. It's not real. I'm going off the deep end over a fake lion and his incredible roar. Are you worried about me? Wait...did I take my meds today? Yep, I did. Dang. Sometimes it's so much simpler when I can just write it off as not taking my "crazy pills".

Let me try to explain. I could use a little clarity myself...

This lion's name is Aslan. For those of you who don't know the story, his character is supposed to loosely parallel Jesus...the real Jesus. He's a powerful, beautiful, incredible lion with a roar that just makes your skin tingle. But he's also so loving and gentle. He's patient and kind and forgiving. He'll do anything for those he loves, and there is nothing he can't do.

The folks who made this character did almost too good of a job. It left me just longing to be with Him...not Aslan...Jesus. The real King of Kings. The real Lion. The real Lamb. I got such a sense for what it might be like to be physically with him, I don't want to be here anymore! I'm homesick!

And to be honest, when I compare what I have waiting for me in eternity to what I have here...everything just seems so flat and temporary and dull. It doesn't have the vibrance and life of Heaven. I want Heaven!

Don't get me wrong. I love my family and my life. I really don't want for a single thing this side of eternity...this is about as good as a person can have it. And I'm not going to do anything to hasten my arrival in Heaven!

I guess I just need to get back into the routine of my life, and stop day dreaming so much about what's to come. It's hard though. It sort of like getting ready for a trip...put the house in order, pack the bags, get everything arranged...and then just WAIT. I'm not a waiter. When I'm ready to go...I want to go already!

Maybe I should stop assuming I'm ready? I know I'll go to Heaven, but I guess there are things in this life that He still wants me to learn. So I'll stick around and see what they are.

Ya know...I've always hoped that I'd have the courage to die for Him (if it came down to it)...but I'm beginning to think that it takes more work and courage to live for him.

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He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

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