Evan Almighty.

For Christmas, Jim bought me the movie, Evan Almighty, with Steve Carrell and John Goodman. Although I was a fan of Bruce Almighty, Jim and I were a bit skeptical when Evan hit the theaters, so we never made it to see it. On Wednesday, after a long day at work, we decided to rewind in front of the television and watch my newest gift!

If you don't know the movie, the plot is simple. God appears to Evan because He wants him to build an Ark, in an effort to change the world. After a bit, Evan's wife leaves with the kids because she thinks he's suffering through a mid-life crisis.

God (in the form of Morgan Freeman) appears to Joan (wife) at a restaurant and talks about the endeavor her husband is on. He talks about how He's inspired by Evan's willingness to follow God and how the animals and humans entered the Ark, two by two, together, as partners. He then says the following to her:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

Sometimes, I think we expect God to simple give us what we want, without actually working for it. I asked God to increase my faith recently and I thought about this quote. I realized that God wouldn't just magically send my faith skyrocketing, He had to give me something to have faith in Him about. And He did.