THE WORLD IN YOUR POCKET. THE WORLD ON YOUR BACK. Pts. 1-2

I have been watching the 1980’s “Back to the Future” trilogy tonight. Of course, the major character in the movie series is “Marty McFly” as portrayed by Michael J. Fox. 

And it has occurred to me that, at that time, Fox had ‘the world in his pocket.’ He was young. He was healthy. He had several millions dollars in his pocket.

Speaking of “Back to the Future,” as I watched Part 1 of the movie, it occurred to me that in the year 2017 I am all too familiar with the future of the then 24 year old actor; (and it wasn’t pretty).

I wanted to shout, “Please take care of yourself, Michael. Seek the medical help you need now.” But, of course, I am all too aware that thirty years later there is still no cure for what will ultimately ail him.

We are all painfully aware that thirteen years after the advent of the first segment of the series, it was disclosed that Michael J. Fox had contracted Parkinson’s Disease.

As scripture has reflected,

“How the mighty have fallen…”

How absolutely dreadful. How inestimably regretful. 

How quickly the accomplished screen artist transcended the world in his pocket 

…to the world on his back.

Pt. 2

The mountain tops and the valleys. 

While the gifted actor to whom I referred in the earlier segment has known stratospheric popularity and wealth, in terms of his physical health he has experienced the proverbial depths of hell.

We’ve all ‘been there.’ Granted, comparatively few of us will experience such a profound divergence between our mountain tops and valleys, but we will all experience the highs and lows of life. And they are prone to come without so much as a moment’s notice.

Amy Carmichael, the Irish missionary to India, experienced the ‘high high’s’ and ‘low low’s’. She has been credited with rescuing a multitude of young girls from the practice of temple prostitution, and providing them a home in her Christian orphanage. While she rejoiced on the mountain tops, she acquiesced in the valleys. 

Her deepest and longest lived valley began one night when she stepped into a hole, and was severely injured. She spent the final two decades of her life bedridden. But for all of it, she remained in India, continued to administer the orphanage, and wrote several dozen books.

No doubt, Amy took great comfort in the words of Psalm 139:16.

“Before I ever took my first breath, you planned every day of my life.”

As a believer, I, too, have taken great comfort in that verse, and like Michael and Amy have experienced a multitude of successes and failures, highs and lows, mountains and valleys.

But in all of it I am grateful that “our times are in His hands” and I have often mused that, “the closer I get, the easier it becomes.” 

For you see, scripture assures us that,

“This life is passing away, but he who does the will of God endures forever.” (1^st John 2:17)

Take heart, my friends. This life is momentary, and will pass like a fog in the morning. 

With the Apostle Paul we can all rejoice in the words,

“I reckon the suffering of this present world is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 51. Copyright pending

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