When All Options Fail

I was thinking about two Toy Story movies I recently saw where there's a scene when all options have run out and it seems that all hope is lost.

The first one, I don't know if it is Toy Story 1 or 2, where Andy's family makes the move and accidentally leaves Woody and Buzz. Buzz taped onto a rocket from the previous ordeal. And in their final effort to catch up with the moving van, they ride a remote control race car. The race car finally loses battery. But wait, the rocket! And Woody has one lone match he forgot he has. He lights it, but as it nears the rocket it's snuffed out by a speeding car. You would think that it's over. There's no way they could ever catch up with the van. But when all hopes fail, even the audiences', the writer has one more twist up his sleeve that we don't know about. Suddenly Woody remembers that Buzz's helmet can act as a magnifying glass. So he tilt's Buzz's helmet so that the sunlight pass thru it sparking fire on the rocket and it flew so fast they were able to catch up with the moving van.

The second is in Toy Story 3. By the end of the movie, there's a scene where all the toys were trapped in a conveyor belt that ends up in a burning furnace. They run away from it as fast as they could to no avail, the conveyor belt was faster than their little legs. The antagonist bear who supposed to have a change of heart was able to climb out of the moving belt, and reaches toward on-off switch, but instead of helping the team, he leaves them to fend for themselves and they all fell off the conveyor belt. Inside is a funnel that drops to the fire. Everyone is by the edge slowly inching towards the drop. At this point, it seems hopeless. Despite Woody's attempts to move away from the drop, others succumb that it's their end finally. At this point, I am close to tears because it seems hopeless. But again, the writer has one more twist up his sleeve that we don't know about. Suddenly a giant claw appears, operated by the three green alien plush toys, carrying them away to safety.

We can only assume. We know the story ends, but how or when, we are not certain. There are times and circumstances in our life when it seems (the keyword, "it seems", meaning we only assume that) it's the end of the road. I mean, given the facts and add to it our human ability to compound things with our emotions, it's hopeless. We lose hope, we give up, we bail out. But the Chief Writer alone decides how the story will end. The Chief Writer ... decides. It may seem going downhill, but they are necessary. The Chief Writer allows us to to experience disillusionment to glorify the salvation that's about to come, to elevate and to appreciate His salvation.

The Chief Writer is the God that brings us out of our Egypts. He is the One who provides a way out when we are tempted to give up. He is the Way ... the Life.

Today, may you realize that the story doesn't end here even when all hopes seems gone. The Chief Writer has finished the script and He invites us to discover His beautiful story. That there are times to mourn, only for a night, but in the morning is a beautiful praise. So never grow weary, even for a time you need to muster all your courage and strength to hold on. Salvation is near.

"Hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." Psalm 130:7

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
- Song of Ascents (130:3-7)