Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The dang quesa-dilluh!

My son and I were riding home from his baseball practice last night when he asked that famous question most men ask "What's for supper?" I told him him mom was fixing quesadillas. As soon as I said that I though of the scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Napoleon's grandmother is going out of town and Napoleon asks what she has for him to eat and she says "...Just make yourself a dang quesa-dilluh!" I shouted this out in the car and we laughed and quoted other classic lines from the movie. I kept having scenes from the movie run through my head. The more I thought about this the more I thought about the friendship Napoleon and Pedro had. They were the outcast, the guys who were not cool or popular but they hit it off and became best of friends. 




One of the one of the themes that really struck me is how they encouraged each other. There is a scene where Pedro is wondering if he should run for Class President. Napoleon encourages him:

Pedro: Do you think people will vote for me?
Napoleon Dynamite: Heck yes! I'd vote for you.
Pedro: Like what are my skills?
Napoleon Dynamite: Well, you have a sweet bike. And you're really good at hooking up with chicks. Plus you're like the only guy at school who has a mustache.
There is another scene in the movie where Napoleon is getting down on himself and Pedro encourages him:

Napoleon Dynamite: Well, nobody's going to go out with *me*!
Pedro: Have you asked anybody yet?
Napoleon Dynamite: No, but who would? I don't even have any good skills.
Pedro: What do you mean?
Napoleon Dynamite: You know, like nunchuku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.
Pedro: Aren't you pretty good at drawing, like animals and warriors and stuff?
Napoleon Dynamite: Yes... probably the best that I know of.
Pedro: Just draw a picture of the girl you want to take out... and give it to her for like a gift or something.
Napoleon Dynamite: That's a pretty good idea.
 


As I thought about this I wondered how well Believers do at encouraging one another in the faith. When we are down due to the circumstances of life, when we are discouraged do we have a Pedro or a Napoleon to look to for encouragement. So many times we so busy or so caught up in ourselves that we don't know anything about the person to encourage them with, we don't know about their "sweet bike" or their ability to "draw animals and warriors and stuff". 

Ecclesiastes 4: 10 - If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

I recently read several verses from I and II Timothy and was able to see the encouragement Paul and Timothy were to each other. As Paul writes to Timothy I see a Believer who is specific in his encouragement of another Believer. Paul encourages Timothy with his word and Timothy encourages Paul with his actions. 

I Timothy 4: 12- Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

II Timothy 1: 4, 5 - 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

These two men had a relationship that most Believers do not have with one another. They were extremely close, they encouraged one another and even showed some raw emotion. These men knew about each others "sweet bike" and their ability to "draw animals and warriors and stuff". This life is much too difficult to go it alone. Let me encourage you to find your Pedro or Napoleon or Paul or Timothy to encourage you as you make this journey. Reach out to someone who may come across as an outcast or someone who you know is lonely and in need of a friend. I have heard it said on many occasion is that God is not looking for religion, He is looking for relationships. A relationship with Him and a relationship with others is where we will find true fulfillment. 

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