Skadoosh

You ever been watching a show or a movie and realize "Hey! They got that idea from somewhere else!" You know, like how Shakespeare got his ideas for 12th Night, Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet from She's the Man, 10 Things I Hate About You and West Side Story? Yeah. Exactly.

I've been listening to the Bible through Youversion.com's Bible app. I've had to do some long drives lately (well, out here in South Dakota, pretty much everything's a long drive) and have been listening through Genesis the last little while.

It was then that I realized something. The story of Joseph is a lot like Kung Fu Panda!

Now, please, before you go and grab something to eat and walk away forever, bear with me (Ha! I said bear..panda, bear...moving on). They both begin with a prophecy. Actions happen to prevent the prophecy from happening and in fact are the very actions that create how the prophecy will come to fulfillment.

Po and Joseph are both gifted and also are different from everyone else. When placed in difficult circumstances, they remain who they are with integrity and also grow as a person in their gifts. In the end, both are placed in a position of importance in order to help save their families and loved ones.

Did I just blow your mind? No? Well...that's a bit awkward...moving on...

The story of Po resonates with the story of Joe for me because both these young men were placed in difficult circumstances and remained true to themselves and their beliefs. Po geeked out about Kung Fu (holla! for the geeks) and Joseph was true to his faith in God and trusting that God was faithful. They never let go of that. And in fact, it is because of who they were that they were able to do what they did. When they were in a tough situation, they used what they already knew, what they already could do in order to work through that tough situation.

Are you going through something that just down right stinks right now...worse than Po's pits? We're all going to have that moment at one time or another. If someone tells you otherwise then they're trying to sell you something.

God has given you exactly what you need to do what you need to do for him and what you need to make it through this situation you're in. Or, as the Vulcans say "Only Nixon could have gone to China."

When we're in situations that are tough, that are hard, that tax us, push us, stretch us and make us think we can't do it. Stop. You have exactly what you need to do what needs to be done. Have that confidence to know that God is at work, that in Jesus, you can do it. Don't sell yourself short!

Now I just gotta figure out that really cool pinky of death move Po used.

Skadoosh.