I consider myself to be a well-balanced individual, particularly when it comes to interests and hobbies.  Although I’m a girly girl who (fake) weeps at the sight of a beautiful purse and can’t get enough of sparkly, peep toe heels, I am extremely secure with the fact that I am also in touch with my masculine side.  Let me explain.

I can talk about cars with the same reverence and knowledge as I do about shoes.  I consider one of the greatest birthday gifts I ever received was my car stereo with the iPod hookup.  I drool over technology, I LOVE football (and most sports, but football is #1 in my book), and I will take a good action flick over most romantic comedies any day.  It’s just how I work and I actually enjoy the fact that I can play with the girls and roll with the boys.

All that to say, I have a special place in my heart for superheroes.  I kinda mentioned this before in a previous blog, but this time I’m really touching on my nerdy love for a man in tights with a thirst for justice and/or vengeance (wow, that kinda sounds like a really horrible ballet).

My favorite thing about superheroes is that they show no fear of their enemy.  They could very well be shaking in their knee-high plastic boots, but they’re not gonna show it.  And why not?  Because they know that showing their fear card will only give the enemy the advantage and it’s game over.

This is the reason superheroes are so popular: they fearlessly face their enemies and even if they don’t win the first round, they always come back and win when it counts.  Superman did it, Batman did it, and even Rocky didn’t win until the second film.

One thing that separates us from the superheroes (well, besides superhuman abilities and/or millions of dollars to turn us into superheroes – hello, Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne), is that they usually anticipate their enemy and when they get hit they usually fight back.

Me, I’m not always good at anticipating the bully.  It’s usually not until I’m wiping tears and nursing cuts that I even realize I’ve been hit.  I haven’t literally taken a punch since my jr. high fightin’ days, but I’ve endured plenty of hurtful actions and words since then that have taken its toll on my mind and heart.  But who really anticipates someone else saying or doing something really stupid to them and vice versa?

Feeling the bruises of recent stupidity being thrown upon me, it took a simple song to bring things back into perspective for me.  As I was sitting in a meeting yesterday, a student quietly sang to herself a song that I had only ever heard my parents sing to me when I was a little girl.  I don’t know the name of the song, but it was a sweet little church song that my parents would sing anytime I was scared or going through a bad time.  While I don’t remember the name of the song, it’s basically about the fact that when God’s on your side, nothing can come against you.

Hearing that song instantly transported me to this one night when I woke up from a bad dream and went to my dad for comfort.  I remember him turning on the light on his nightstand, opening his bible, reading Psalm 91 and singing that song while he had one arm holding me close to him.  It didn’t take long for me to feel secure and able to face whatever the rest of the night or the following day would hold for me.

So when I heard this song being softly muttered through the student’s lips, I felt an instant rush of comfort.  The words of the song were like balm to my wounds and I felt a surge of strength as I was reminded that a thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, but none will come near me (Psalm 91:7).  I might feel a little arrow grazing, but with God on my side, nothing can touch me.

Whether or not you’re a fan of the superheroes like I am, you know you wouldn’t mind a little protection.  Think about it.  You would feel pretty confident facing up to your bullies if your superhero of choice was on standby ready to defend at a moment’s notice.  I know I would.  I could face all kinds of bullies, literal or figurative, if someone who was stronger and more powerful than my bully was always at my side.

The thing is, you do have someone better than a superhero ready to defend and protect you.  God is there ready to protect us, always anticipating enemy attack.  What we (or at least I) fail to do is to call on Him for help.  Most of the time He’ll act on our behalf without a request, while other times we need to shout for assistance.  It’s not that He doesn’t see our needs or won’t be there to offer protection, it’s just that sometimes we need to be reminded that we can’t fully rely on our own strength to beat down our foes.

And while I can’t sing you my special song through this blog (mostly because I can’t remember all the words and I just don’t do videos of myself), I’ve included Psalm 91 for you to read.  Take it to heart and let this truth sink in: God is your protector and with Him on your side, you’re untouchable in His grasp.  Even the best superheroes can’t guarantee that.

So the next time the bullies come out swinging, remember that you’re not alone and are protected by the Hero who doesn’t need a cape or tights to fight on behalf of the ones He loves (Lois Lane could only be so lucky).

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

I’m not entirely sure when it happened or how it happened, but I became a full-fledged fan of Robert Pattinson.  I can point to the exact moment I first “fell in love” with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, but where Mr. Pattinson’s concerned, I have no idea.  But I know it happened because when I got word that the trailer for his new movie Water for Elephants was online I squealed excitedly then watched that sucker over and over again.  I just couldn’t get enough.

But it wasn’t just Mr. Pattinson’s famous brooding that captured my attention.  I was completely mesmerized by everything from the actors to the costumes to how the scenes nearly matched what I pictured in my head while reading the book.  The more I watched, the more my excitement grew for this movie…. and for seeing Rob in a tux. In the words of ZZ Top, “Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.” Well, at least this girl is.

Anyway, once I was able to pick my mouth up off the floor and push through my haze of excitement, I noticed these words weaved through stunning images of circus life and R-Patz:

“There is your path”

“There is your struggle”

“And there is your destiny”

To me, those words were spun as sweetly as cotton candy and carried more weight than a parade of elephants.  While I knew those statements specifically related to the story, I couldn’t help but think how they relate to our own stories as well.

Without giving anything away (which I can’t really do anyway since I haven’t finished reading the book), the story is about this guy who had great plans for his life, tragedy struck, and his life was set on a much different, much wilder course.  Although his circumstances are uncommon (he ends up in a circus, hello!), the storyline is pretty basic – so much so that many of us have already lived out this story in one way or another.

We’ve all had dreams or expectations of where our lives would go and are surprised at where we actually end up.  At least that’s how things have gone for me.  If you would’ve told me ten years ago that I would be starting a career in journalism, still unmarried (ouch), and not working at a church, I would’ve thought you were crazy.  Why? Because who I am now is far from who I thought I would be when originally creating my plan A.  In fact, I think I may have already surpassed plans B, D, and possibly even Z.

But you know what?  I’m okay with that.  I had a “path” all planned out.  When things didn’t pan out as planned, I “struggled” to find my way – but eventually I did and it just so happens that my “destiny” is already so much better than the path I initially carved out for myself.  I’m always glad when, despite the struggle, things turn out for the best.

As for Jacob Jankowski, I don’t know how his story ends just yet.  Although he had to face major tragedy, I’m sure he’s thankful for the struggles and the pain that led him to the life of love and adventure that he might have missed out on had he traveled his planned course.  I know I’m grateful for the tragedies and triumphs I’ve endured and I’m looking forward to trekking through the un-traveled road that lies ahead for me.

So when things don’t go as planned, look at it as opportunity and another stride towards your destiny.  There’ll be times when you’re put in charge of the elephants (massive pooper scooper, anyone?) and other times when you’ll be flying higher than a trapeze artist.  Whatever the case, enjoy the circus – it may be crazy and full of freaks, but when done right is full of wonder, magic, and sweet memories. And, if you’re lucky, it’ll also have cute boys in tuxedos carrying water for elephants (well, there will be in my circus anyway… and candy… and popcorn… and lots of glitter. LOTS.) =)

For your viewing pleasure, the trailer for Water for Elephants (Not sure why the video isn’t embedded directly in here, but whatever):

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS – OFFICIAL TRAILER