My oldest shoes. (part 2)

Last post I talked about my oldest pair of shoes, and all the memories that I associated with them. I talked about how they represented my past, and how by wearing them(living in the past) instead of getting new shoes(living in today) I was hurting my feet. This is because my feet have grown, and because shoes don't last forever. Which is a terrible shame. Not so much that my shoes that my shoes didn't last, I have better shoes now! but more so that things in general don't last. Things that you love, and put great amounts of hope for happiness in.

This was the saddest thought that I had when contemplating throwing my shoes away. My thoughts were taken back to a scene in "A curious case of Benjamin Button" Where Brad Pitt's Character says

"I was thinking how things never last, and what a shame that is."
Cate Blanchett replies with some encouragement towards their relationship saying "Somethings last."

Towards the end of the movie, however, they tragically split apart due to circumstances they can't control, and Catie B says "you were right, nothing lasts." (But is it really that unexpected? he's growing backwards! you think she would have seen it coming) Her words, and their situation feel awfully familiar. Not so much the growing younger part, or even necessarily the life long romance part, but the losing of something/someone we love or cherish.

Nothing lasts. We experience this reality everyday. Good and bad things, great and small grow and disappear in our lives. When bad situations disappear, we are grateful, but when things we are grateful for disappear, we lament. My shoes didn't last. High school didn't last. The weekend didn't last. The shows I performed in didn't last. Relationships didn't last. My booze buzz didn't last. Some friends didn't last. A lot of these things are what I put my happiness in, and they didn't last. My happiness didn't last.

Now I don't want to write a sob story. As Mrs. Gump would say "Death is just a part of life." Parts of our lives dying out is natural, and just because things don't last forever doesn't mean that their bad investments of our time. But when we are living(either consciously or not) for something that fails, our lives fail. Not physically, but metaphorically. When you place your hope into your favorite shoes(more metaphors) and they fall apart, so does your hope. If you live for the weekend, and Monday roles around, how do you feel? How do I feel? Not well.

This is why I am a christian, or maybe perhaps why i'm a person who hopes that God is real. While everything in life comes to an end, God does not. The very nature of him is everlasting, and when I place my hope in him, my hope is everlasting as well. Again i'm not trying to knock the weekend, temporary happiness, or anything like that, but what I am suggesting is that the basis for long term peace in our lives should be something with grit, longevity, and durability.

Everyone knows the wise man who built his house on the rock, when his life went through tribulation, his house stayed intact, because of his solid foundation. As opposed to the foolish man who built his house(happiness/peace/hope) on the sand. When his life was tried, his house was washed away. (Jesus was the author of this parable) The Bible says that God is a "Everlasting Rock" (Isaiah 26:4) and that we should place our trust in him because of said strength. With that, I think we should all ask ourselves "what am I living for?" And we should go further and ask, how have/are our investments holding up? I think the most beautiful part of this story though, is when I look at trusting in God, in contrast to trusting in myself.

 Whenever I trust in me alone to make me happy, I quickly realize how bad of an idea it is. My confidence, positive self image, ability to do right by other people, "Godliness" are all things that tank, quickly. None of them seem to last very long, yet not only does the idea of, or the actual entity of God last, but so does his love. When I have a hard time loving myself, God is quick to love me.  Romans say that "There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God." and this is what brings me rock solid peace, because I need love.

Cate Blanchett was right all along. Somethings last. and I am so thankful.