Julie Got It Wrong

Like many things that came out in the sixties, the Sound of Music had an impact on my life. As a seven year old boy, I experienced my first crush on Julie Andrews after seeing the film in 1965 when it first came out. Two years later, when my youngest sister was born, I cast my vote to name her Julie Ann after Julie Andrews. 

Even the Rogers and Hammerstein songs she sang had an impact as the sound track from the film was listened to over and over on the family HI-FI stereo system. Slowly, methodically, the songs would form a deeper foundation to my already questionable philosophy; one that would take me some forty years to rebuild. And, although Julie Andrews didn’t write the songs she did sing them so I will hold her accountable because she sang them with such credibility and trust.

 

The songs came alongside other messages I had received already at that young age and became a reason for me to not need anyone else to help me. I needed to suck it up and keep moving; injured, tired, or not! I could do it all myself if I simply remembered a few of my favorite things as I rubbed dirt on it and pulled myself up by my bootstraps.

 

And, at the risk of getting hate mail, I will state that “My Favorite Things” was exceptionally not based in reality and would have a devastating affect on what I believed.

Julie (as Maria) sang that when she gets bitten by a dog, or stung by a bee or even when she is feeling sad, she simply remembers a few of her favorite things and then she doesn’t feel so bad. Simply amazing…and what’s even worse is that I believed it and failed miserably when I tried to put it into practice.

 

Yes, it is good to think of things to help get our mind off our bad situation and be joyful. But that doesn’t change the reality that something is wrong with us.

 

Julie got it wrong! When a dog bites it hurts and it is necessary to see a doctor especially if it is an unfamiliar dog that bit you, or the bite is deep, or you can't stop the bleeding, or there are any signs of infection which will need to be treated with antibiotics.

 

And unless you know for sure that the dog is up to date with his/her rabies shots, you need to go and seek medical help; immediately, before paralysis stops your legs from being able to get to the doctor or before you die from cardiac arrest or respiratory failure!

 

Not after you taken time to sit down and think of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens or brown paper packages tied up with strings.

Julie got it wrong!  In spite of what she sung, when a bee stings, it is unpleasant for everyone. Some people have an extreme allergic reaction to bee stings called anaphylaxis which is potentially life-threatening and requires emergency treatment; even if you use your EpiPen.

 

Left untreated you could die as you think about your favorite things like cream colored ponies, crisp apple strudels, doorbells, sleigh bells, schnitzel with noodles, and wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

Yes, it is good to think of things to help get our mind off our bad situation and be joyful. But that doesn’t change the reality that something is wrong with us. And this is even truer pertaining to the sin in our lives.

 

All of the snowflakes that stay on our noses and eyelashes or thinking about silver white winters that melt into springs will never fix our sinful lives. This can only be fixed when we come to the realization that we CAN’T do it all by ourselves.

 

Julie got it wrong in trying to convince that we can sing our way out of our situation. Going to church and simply singing songs never changes anything other than making us not feel so bad. Simply put; we need a Savior…Jesus Christ.

 

Today, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this “babe” grew up and was crucified, died, buried and rose on the third day.

 

He came that we might have real life and real healing from things that make us feel bad. We need Him as our Savior and as our Lord.

 

And the Good News is that He wants to take burdens off our shoulders, give us rest when we are weary, hope when we are hopeless, healing when we are brokenhearted, liberty when we are held captive and oppressed, and recovery of sight to areas where we have blindness. These are a few of MY favorite things

Jesus wants to help you today. Simply call out His Name right now.

 

Call 1-888-NEED-HIM for more assistance