Change

One of Jeffrey's and my favorite TV shows is the hit series "House." If you're not familiar, the premise is simple: Dr. House is a diagnostician who solves "unsolvable" medical mysteries. Dr. House is a brilliant physician with a nimble mind and a sharp perceptive ability, but he has terrible doctor-patient skills. He lies to patients, he uses cutting and sarcastic remarks, he breaks rules and protocols, he orders risky tests and procedures, and he hurts people...but he's almost ALWAYS right in the end--so he is forgiven of all wrongs. (Basically, it's an entire show based on the ethical question: Does the end justify the means?)

One of Dr. House's most often-uttered pessimistic remarks is "People don't change." Unfortunately, he's mostly right. People don't change. We don't change for lots of different reasons. To some people, change means giving up something immediately gratifying to attain something more meaningful at a point in the future (waiting until marriage to have sex). To others change means breaking habits that feel as natural as breathing (smoking, drug addiction). Others would say that change is scary because it has unknown consequences, or that it might change them as a person, or it might cause them to lose friends...the list goes on and on, but the bottom line is this: Change is hard, so most of us simply don't do it.

The problem is, we all need to change something about ourselves. We all need to improve.

I don't know who all reads this blog, but I would assume that there are some readers who would identify themselves as Christian, some who would identify themselves as some other religion, and some who would not identify with any spiritual power. Regardless of your spiritual identity, I think you should copy and paste this link into a webpage to view a really incredible video put together by a church in the Fort Worth area.

http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies//

The video clip is called "Cardboard Testimonies" and it is all about people changing. Some people just changed their minds. Some people changed their habits. Some people changed their faith. Some changed someone else's life. Again, regardless of your spiritual beliefs, I think you will be moved by this dynamic video. I think those of you who are Christians will be especially moved by this expression of God's fantastic power. He can change anything--He can change everything...

Two special notes: Thank you to Tammy M. who put this link on her blog (In the Grip of Grace) where I first saw it. Also, when you watch the video, you should know that the first couple that come onto the stage together are my mother-in-law and father-in-law. How courageous they were to change their hearts...

Anyway, I apologize if this posting sounds a bit "preachy," it wasn't meant to sound that way. It's just that when you live in a world where you see so little change and so much need for it, you forget how dramatic it can really be. It makes my heart literally leap with joy to see these walking examples of courage, will, faith, strength, honor, and humility.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I hope it changes you...