Moana has been on repeat in my house. Marty LOVES it. He has moved on from Trolls and will only watch Moana now.

I am thinking that it is because I have been raised in the church, but the “Jesus” in things that are not meant to be “Jesus” stick out to me. Moana is anything but a christian movie. It’s actually quite the opposite.

Moana from as early as she can remember feels called to the Ocean. Her dad is adamantly against it as it is very dangerous because of a curse that has fallen on it. Moana is supposed to take over as chief of their island, and her dad wants her to focus on that, but the inner drawing to the ocean won’t die down. She knows that she was made for so much more. It comes time that the curse has begun to take over their island and there is no more food to harvest and the only way to heal the land is for Moana to go past the reef and “restore the heart of Te Fiti”. She is scared. She is ill-equipped. She’s never been trained as a way finder. She is an ordinary young girl setting sail who has NEVER before gone past the reef. There are times that she wants to give up on her voyage of saving her island. She cries, screams, and actually begs the ocean to pick someone else. Eventually, realizes it needs to be her and she can do it. So, she takes on the challenge, restores the heart, and heals the ocean and islands.

Here it comes, we as Jesus followers are made for so much more. We are Moana! Matthew is very clear that we are called to go out and make disciples. Our houses may be safe. Our jobs may be comfortable and stable. Our circle of friends works great as is. Our family is perfect as a family of 4. Our lives consist of predictability as much as we can help it. Saturday soccer and baseball games. Sunday morning church. Monday thru Friday, 9-5 jobs. Our finances are all allotted for, even the statistical small percentage of church members giving their 2% to the church. Beyond the reef is scary.

There are storms, uncertainties, and we are so ill-equipped. BUT, beyond the reef are widows, orphans, lonely hearts, homelessness, churches parched dry in need for volunteers, and the hurting and lost hearts of the community remaining hurt and lost because church members are holding on so tightly to their wallets.

Maybe God is asking you to make a career change. Maybe God is asking you to downsize. Maybe God is asking you to adopt or foster the orphans in your backyard. Maybe God is calling you to sign up for that mission trip. Maybe God is saying it’s time to go off birth control. Maybe God is asking you to move. Maybe God is asking you to step out and serve in the kids, students, greeting, or production departments of your church. Maybe God is asking you to open your wallets and either begin giving your first 10% of what He has blessed you with, or for those of you that maybe already give, but definitely not the 10%, are being called to step it up. Maybe, just maybe, God is speaking to you that it’s okay to miss a baseball or soccer game once a month so that you can be more involved serving in your church. It will be a powerful example to your child that Jesus will always come first in your family. Maybe it’s time to join a small group!

I don’t know what your “beyond the reef” is. BUT, I do know that when you agree to go, God will equip you. God will sustain you. God will provide for you. God will use you. If we could all link arms and take on “our island”,  revival would happen. I believe 100%  that God would rock your worlds in ways that you cannot even fathom. His blessings will pour out like a waterfall over you and your family as you obediently set sail. I am not saying that it won’t be scary, that it won’t hurt, or that it will be easy. But, I can promise that it will be worth it.