Thoughts for the Journey from Bill Myers

As an author and film producer, Bill Myers’s work has won over 70 national and international awards including the C.S. Lewis Honor Award. His books and videos, which include Eli and McGee and Me, have sold 8 million copies. His most recent book, The Jesus Experience - Journey Deeper into the Heart of God, explores how he went from a burned-out evangelical to someone head-over-heels in love with his Creator. www.billmyers.com

THE JOY OF DISCIPLINE

“God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.” HEBREWS 12:7-10

One time, my cameraman and I were flying home from a shoot in Bolivia. We’d been in the jungles, traveled mountain roads for weeks, and we were dead tired. We found a row on the plane with three open seats and sat with the vacant seat between us so we could spread out and relax. But the plane was getting more crowded by the second. When people approached and asked us if the empty seat was taken, we pretended like we didn’t understand them. If they spoke Spanish, we spoke English. If they spoke English, we spoke French.

Bottom line, we were being jerks.

But it worked. The entire plane filled up, except for the one and only vacant seat between us. Ah, sweet victory! We’d gotten our way. But, even as the door shut, part of me felt bad. It wasn’t so much guilt as it was disappointment. If God really loved us, why did He let His two kids get off with such behavior?

The props revved up and the plane started forward. But we had only taxied a dozen feet before the props died down and the plane coasted to a stop. That’s when I looked out the window and saw—I kid you not—a woman weighing at least 250 pounds, waddling out of the terminal. In one hand was a giant grocery bag and in the other . . . a crying baby. She climbed on board and, of course, there was only one place left to sit.

Though we were incredibly cramped during the many hours of flight, I giggled to myself and felt pretty good. God had not let me down. I was still His beloved son.