Who remembers Tom Hanks on an uninhabited island talking to his best friend, Wilson, after his plane crashes?
What was Wilson?
A volleyball. Yes. A volleyball.
Tom turned this leather item into a companion, made a face on it and it became his go-to during the lonely times. He started to believe this volleyball was a real person and would turn to Wilson for advice as if the volleyball had become his counselor.
Of course, the Cast Away movie ends with a remarkable rescue and Tom returns to civilization with a new-found love for life.
Although the details of the movie and the writer’s rendition of survival may be a little dramatic, I think we can all identify with the feelings of isolation and the long, overdue need for rescue.
We get caught up in doing things our own way instead of listening to God. We get caught up in the world, the politics, the greed, the social media wars and the negativity. We get caught up in our sin and we feel like we have to hide; as if we are all alone on this deserted island. A cast away.
We start believing no one will understand. So we find our counselor in things. We talk to Amazon Prime and order more shoes. We turn our woes to bottles or prescriptions. We paint a face on smut and television shows. And before we know it, we have created our own “Wilson” and we are in desperate need of a rescue.
Jesus is the lifeboat. He has been floating around us the whole time just waiting for us to recognize the bright light. All we have to do is put up the flare and He will pull us back to safety.
Are you feeling like a cast away? Have you turned to your own “Wilson” for help instead of reaching to the Lord? It’s not too late. You’re never too far out to sea to reach up and grab His hand. Let Him rescue you. Because life on the inland with Jesus is much better than tossing out in the sea with Satan. So long, Wilson!
