Kung Fu Panda Analogy

Alright! I've got an amazing analogy to share! (Again ... Alex and Alec ... aren't you proud?) ;) ....

Have you ever seen the movie, Kung Fu Panda? ...... I've been wanting to see it for a long time and hadn't gotten the chance until last night. :) .... My mom bought that movie for me yesterday, so I popped it into the DVD player as soon as she got it home. ... I love animated shows and Jack Black was the voice of Po, the panda in the movie. He's hilarious. I was pretty excited to finally be watching it! Well ... there is an amazing analogy wrapped up in this movie. As I was watching the scene I'm gonna tell you about, my mind started freaking out (as it often does), and I actually watched the scene again to catch the whole story. It is amazing! Enjoy!

Okay ... here goes! ........ There was a scene in the movie where this old, wise turtle (Oogway) was talking to some endangered specie (?) of panda (Shifu) ... I don't know what he was exactly ... these animated shows are always throwing funky creatures atcha! But anyway ... he was a kung fu master in the movie. Shifu was panicking because some evil tiger (Tai Lung) had escaped from prison, was on his way to destroy the village, and the "chosen" warrior (the only one who could supposedly defeat Tai Lung) was a fat, clumsy panda (Po) - so Shifu went to the old and wise Oogway for guidance. They were standing under a peach tree ... and after Shifu got done freaking out, Oogway warned him of his "illusion of control." Oogway said, "Look at this tree. I can't make it blossom or bear fruit before its time." .... Shifu got upset ... (the "how dare you say I don't have control" kind of reaction). He hit the tree, and the peaches fell to the ground. He said, "I can control when the peaches fall." He then threw a peach in the air, did some cool, kung fu mega chop (something cool that got the pit out of the peach) ... landed on the ground, kung fu chopped a hole in the ground, and stuck the peach pit into the hole. He then said, "I can control where the seed is planted. How is that not control?" (See his issues with control???) ... Then ... Oogway simply said, "But no matter what you do ... it will be a peach tree. You may want an apple or an orange, but it will be a peach tree." ... Shifu cried, "But a peach won't defeat Tai Lung!" (The peach, referring to Po). And Oogway said, "Maybe it (the peach) can if you are willing to nurture it ... if you are willing to believe in it." "But how!?" Shifu cried. "You must tell me how!!" ... "You just need to believe," Oogway said.

Amazing, huh? ....... I'm sure you can find several analogies in this scene, but the one that sticks out to me the most is something God's been dealing with me about ... imagine that. ;) ..... We all want control. We want to control everything that goes on in this crazy life. And sometimes we think we have control. ... In reality, we can do whatever we want to ... we can try to fix things, try to make things go our own way ... but it never happens our way. We may want apples or oranges ... but in the end, we're gonna get a peach tree! In the end ... God's plan is going to prevail. .... Oh my gosh! I just thought of another connecting idea!!!!! Hold on! Let me get my Bible! ........... It's just like Proverbs 19:21 - "Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." And sometimes we think that a peach (whatever it is that God is putting before us right now ... whatever we are doing/experiencing right now) will not "defeat." We think that what we are going through right now will not help us get to where we want to be in the future. Then God says, "Grow in your walk with me. Trust in me." ... Just as Oogway told Shifu to "nurture the seed and believe." When we grow in our walk with Jesus ... we are on our way to getting that peach tree (which is God's perfect plan and path for our lives). We can ask "How!? I've gotta know how! And now!" ... just like Shifu did ... but God's gonna say " just trust me" every time. He doesn't lay everything out for us because He wants us to learn to trust Him completely ... and for the long term (forever). Isn't that amazing?! What an amazing analogy!

Keep trusting Jesus! That peach tree is on its way! :D