I don’t know how your house works, but I am the designated “find something to watch” person in ours. The world of streaming is a curse and a blessing. On one hand, I have everything at my fingertips. On the other hand, I have everything to sort through and decide! I had to laugh when I saw a Facebook meme where the dog had a bubble over its head “Spent 1 ½ hours finding a movie; feel asleep five minutes into it.” Yup. The struggle is real!
Anyway, Apple TV was offering a free week, so I took advantage of the deal and watched the series, Dark Matter, starring Joel Edgerton as Professor Jason Dessen. It’s a science fiction show about how he is abducted into an alternative version of his own life. It is a creative presentation of life choices and the “path not taken” concept. Season one was quite interesting and raised many questions for us all:
- Are you happy with the path you have chosen?
- Do you have regrets?
- Do you ever think of how different things would be if you chose a different path?
I think our human condition asks and ponders these questions from time to time, but when we are rooted in our faith in God, they don’t matter as much. Each decision we make definitely shapes our life. Look at our move to Grand Junction. We intentionally wanted to downsize, simplify, and improve the quality of our lives. Yet, getting here had many moving parts, challenges, and ultimately, it was on God’s time table, not ours.
I met my husband at a health club in Seattle. He normally didn’t frequent that location, and I was taking a class I usually didn’t attend. Both our decisions made our paths cross, and the rest is history.
When challenges and difficult times arise, I believe we find it easier to question our choices and even doubt God. This is the enemy! Here’s a truth: God will always get you where He wants you to be. We may take detours, encounter obstacles, and struggle, but His divine plan for us will prevail.
In Dark Matter, Jason chose his family over career success. His alternative self did the opposite. He became extremely rich but envied the family and love the other Jason had. Regret and pure greed led to doing the unthinkable and stealing the other Jason’s life.
After my divorce to my abusive ex-husband, I had a necklace made to remind me that even though I made mistakes and got off track with life, God didn’t abandon me. The necklace is a lightening bolt…sharp edges to the left, to the right, to the left again, and it eventually tightens, gets smaller, and ends up at a diamond, which represents God’s plan.
The first and real Jason’s life wasn’t a bed of roses. Yes, he had a loving wife and son, but they endured pain and hardships along the way. He sacrificed the opportunity to be a highliner in his career field and walked away from worldly riches to be a good husband and father. While the other version of him had fame and fortune, he was lonely. In the end, he realized his regrets were empty lies and that he wouldn’t do anything different. He would marry his wife and choose his family all over again.
I found that message inspiring in a world focused on “likes,” followers, and success. How different the world be if we put our faith and families first! Back to the questions the show brought up:
- Are you happy with the path you have chosen? If you aren’t, the good news is God will help you get on the right path! Always check in with the Father because our heart’s desires can deceive us.
- Do you have regrets? Personally, I feel life will have regrets, especially when we are trying to be like Jesus. We will fall short, but we keep trying and learn from our mistakes. We need to ensure we are seeking His ways and not the world’s.
- Do you ever think of how different things would be if you chose a different path? With everything I have been through, I had indeed wondered, but ultimately, I conclude I am who I am today because of everything I have endured. My life shaped and molded me into a person who strives to help others, and God uses my pain to encourage others.
My booklet, Walking with God through Difficult Times, explores similar veins and offers hope through God’s word. You can get a copy today or gift it to someone you know who is going through a challenging time.
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