“There’s a monster outside my room, can I have a glass of water?”
Last night I watched the movie Signs with my brother for the first time since we watched it as kids. I’m pretty sure I was 12 and he was 11 at the time. I remembered it had something to do with crop circles, aliens and a little girl who left cups of water all over the house, but that was all that came to mind. I completely forgot the father’s deep struggle with God over his wife’s death, the powerful message of God’s sovereignty at the end and what a profound spiritual impact it had on me at that age.
As a few flashbacks revealed, the father character Graham Hess had recently lost his wife in a horrific car accident caused by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. This tragedy caused him to question the existence of God and ultimately leave the church he pastored. But given the dire circumstances he is forced once again to ponder the supernatural. As they waited for the inevitable alien invasion he shared these thoughts with his brother, Merrill.
“People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign … evidence that there is someone up there watching out for them.
Group number two sees it just as pure lucky—happy turn of chance. I’m sure that the people in group number two are looking at those 14 lights in a very suspicious way. For them, this situation is a 50/50. It could be bad. It could be good. But deep down they feel that whatever happens, they’re on their own. That fills them with fear.But there’s a whole lot of people in group number one and they see those 14 lights and they’re looking at a miracle. And deep down they feel that whatever’s going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. And what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that see’s signs or sees miracles? Or do you believe people just get lucky? Or look at the question this way, is it possible that there are no coincidences?”
They begin boarding up the windows and doors of the house, but can’t cover all of them in time, so they’re forced to hide in the basement. Graham feels completely hopeless because he believes that aliens are going to take over the world and there’s nothing he can do to prevent it and save his family. But at the very end he learns that God has been looking out for their good the whole time and is amazed as he marvels at the way God orchestrated their salvation.
This reminds me of a beautiful biblical truth revealed in the book of Romans.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Be encouraged. God is in control, He’s working for your good and everything happens for a reason. Who knew you could learn all that from watching an alien movie?
So which kind of person are you? Do you look at the ways God has blessed you through your life and see it all as mere chance and luck? Or do you look back with a grateful heart and press on with the hope that God works everything together for your good? And when you face uncertainty, do you wallow in fear? Or do you look for signs of God doing something miraculous?