April 27, 2010 at 2:05 pm, by Carl

My daughters love to find things on TV to DVR so they can watch again and again.  Back 2007, we went to see the fabulous Dustin Hoffman in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium .  It’s a sweet little movie about wonder and magic and childhood, but I don’t necessarily remember anything remarkable from our first viewing.  When Logan and I sat down to watch the recording again yesterday, I was mostly wanting some “father-daughter time.”  While that did happen, the better thing was being reminded of how deep the movie went.


The movie really stresses the need to not lose childlike wonder of the world.  Jesus stresses this same kind of thought when he attempts to help some of his listeners understand how to really follow Him well–“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14-15) For many of us, we become to “grown-up,” too wrapped up in life to really experience the magic.


But, there’s more and this is the part that I really want you see and hear.  Mr. Magorium’s most faithful follower is sweet Molly Mahoney (played well by Natalie Portman) and she needs courage and faith to let her excellence come out.  Mr. Magorium is determined to make this happen and his final act to move her that way comes by his announcement that he is leaving.  Take a look at the clip to really see how he does this.


[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0gXZTfuD1Q]


“Your life is an occasion–rise to it.”


Yes!


For so many that I work with, students, church members, colleagues, this is the lost idea.  We have forgotten how memorable we are, each one of us.  We may not become Shakespeare or be a King.  Yet, your life is amazing!  Never forget that.  Each one of us has magic inside of us.  Live it!


I have urged my audience for years to “become the hero of your own story.”  I hope this clip will inspire you today to rise to the occasion of your life!