Snakes on a Plane

I’ve realized it is not a good idea to watch a movie that involves a plane crash in the same week you actually have to ride on a plane.  It made the plane ride a little less exciting.  I wasn’t like a small child screaming with joy, “I’m in the clouds!  I’m in the clouds!”  I took a few plane rides last weekend and luckily I never had any trouble other than an hour delay for brake fluid leaking.

The movie I watched was Die Hard 2.  John McClane is, of course, one of the most hardcore characters in American cinema.  Even though he always gets the bad guys and does so in dramatic fashion, he can’t stop a plane from crashing in the movie; he can’t save the two-hundred plus people on board.  I know it is just a movie.  I would say that things that I watch in movies or on television do not affect me, but later that night I dreamt that I was on a plane that was about to crash.  (Jennifer did not appreciate hearing about my dream 2 days before we were flying.)

More recently, I watched a movie that contained a scene where a man was bitten in the face by a rattlesnake.  Later that night I dreamt about some sort of constricting snake that was trying to wrap itself around my dog, Toby.  Even though I dreamt about a different type of snake, I kind of assume my mind was thinking about snakes because of the scene in the movie. 

I know there are a lot of studies, research, and beliefs about the science and meaning of dreams, but I am definitely not an expert.  I do seem to notice that my dreams are often about something I thought about earlier in the day.  The only recurring dream I seem to have is about playing basketball.  Sadly, I can never actually make a shot in my dreams.  Even if I am attempting the easiest lay-up possible and I use the backboard, the ball will still not go through the hoop.  If anyone out there wants to tell me why I can’t make a basket in my dreams, then be my guest. 

While sitting on the plane and thinking about my dream about going through a plane crash, I didn’t pull a Final Destination and frantically get myself and anyone that I could off of the plane.  I just sat there, trusting that everything would be okay.  While sitting there, I did think about how we can allow negative thoughts to get into our heads.  Those negative thoughts could rob us of joy and cause us to dwell on things that will probably never happen.  Who hasn’t watched a scary movie and had trouble sleeping that night?

Maybe we could limit the negative things that cause us to dwell on things we shouldn’t dwell on:

- Maybe it is certain types of movies or TV shows that cause us problems

- Maybe it is being around negative people that tend to point out unsolvable problems

- Maybe it is certain people or circumstances that cause us to have envy, to be consumed with desiring what is not ours

If we stop dwelling on certain negative things, would it actually help to have a more positive life?

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2 // NIV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 
Philippians 4:8 // ESV