Only in the Movies

April 9, 2025

From Pastor Joseph Wamack

Some things seem very easy for some people-much easier than they do for me. Sometimes it feels like no one has struggles but me, like everyone is accomplishing great things except me.

It makes me think of some movies I have seen. Some things seem to happen only in the movies. Movies make some things seem so unreal or easy. Everything falls into place by the end of the movie. Everything is scripted so well. Why can’t I script my life? Why can’t I do everything I want that easily? Why can’t it happen for me like in the movies?

Here are some things I have seen that happen “only in the movies.”

• It is always possible to find a parking spot directly outside the building you are visiting-even if it is New York City.

• When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a bill. Just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.

• All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red digital displays that count down to zero, so you know exactly when the bomb is going to explode.

• In a WWII movie, should you need to impersonate a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak German-simply speaking English with a German accent will do.

• The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window of any building in Paris.

• You will survive any battle in any war UNLESS you show someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

• Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at the precise moment it’s aired.

• If you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts, your opponents will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around you in a threatening manner until you have defeated their predecessor.

• The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. Nobody will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building undetected.

• Anyone can land a 747 as long as there is someone in the control tower to guide you.

If only life was so easy! But it isn’t-life is hard. For example: you might long to have a full, satisfying life-a life surrounded by people you love. A life filled with love and laughter, good health, a good job, satisfaction with the work you do. All of these things take maximum effort to achieve.

Maybe you want to be physically or spiritually fit. You would like to find an hour for exercise or prayer and Bible Study. It is difficult to find ways to fit in exercise or quiet time when the day is so full of other things. Many of you have children-in the morning you wake them up, feed them, get them to school or daycare, and then get yourself to work. Perhaps you have a spouse who is not as helpful as you would like. Maybe you don’t have any help at home at all. Then you go to work, and then there are those work responsibilities, plus bills, traffic, friends, sleep and meals. And then someone says “make sure you find that hour each day for yourself to exercise or pray.” Yeah, right! Only in the movies!

Nothing worth anything was ever achieved without a plan and effort. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Accomplishments take time, effort, sacrifice and hard work. If it were easy to do anything worthwhile everyone would be doing it!  The road to victory is littered with good intentions.

But remember-life is about choices. God has given us that great gift-the ability to choose. And our choices show what is most valuable to us. Do you want to make changes? Do you want to accomplish your goals? Do you value your health? Do you need time with God? Then be willing to do that which is not easy. You can come out a winner-it doesn’t happen only in movies like Rocky! “Yo, Adrienne!”