Great Expectorations: Chapter XIV

Currently
Un Conte de Fées: Fairy Tale
Summer (from Kikujiro)

Welcome to a long-overdue issue of Great Expectorations!! My absence for so long has been at least noted, I trust, if not lamented. But whether you receive this update with indifference, eagerness or disdain, I assure you that whatever the updates have meant to you by and large for the last season will soon be a thing of the past: this is my second-to last address before Great Expectorations is laid to rest in an undisclosed location: and there it will remain, an amusingly lopsided carcass with an attitude of lofty, latent sarcasm, awaiting the day when I shall have pity and resurrect it to entertain/horrify the world once again. And during this indefinite coma, I shall entertain myself with Real Life – an all-consuming lifestyle of hourly wages, fewer and fewer meals, early mornings, constant music, hectic weekends, and turbulent relationships, made fascinating and deeper by their constant fluctuations, conflicts, and happy resolutions.

Sprinkled at random throughout this concoction will be broadcasts in podcast form on sundry topics, briefer and hopefully more relevant than ever. Thus my life will become a larger, more abstract manifestation of one of my manager’s favourite sandwiches: tuna fish with bacon, hot peppers, salad dressing, honey Dijon mustard, lettuce and cucumber with extra tomato. In other words, so many ingredients that the identity of the meal is compromised but nonetheless impressive in its scope and construction. For now though, I shall concentrate on giving this fourteenth epistle enough substance to justify its exposure.

My life has been one of unmixed blessing these past few weeks, although also so busy that to recall details would be frustrating. The biggest event in recent times has obviously been me and Rob’s visit to Niagara Falls again to visit the wonderful Friesen family, which as usual was an experience so utterly fantastic that I was blessed speechless. In addition to just being able to spend time with my best friends and bask in the unspeakable blessing of being there and seeing all of them again, I had my socks knocked off by experiencing a week so full of laughter and spiritual renewal that I was able to return home fully energized and perfectly peaceful. I anticipated a devastating blow by returning home, but instead I felt more empowered spiritually, emotionally and physically than I ever have. Instead of crashing down onto the rocks of Reality (for being in Niagara with the Friesens is always more of a dreamy fantasy than an actual event), I came home on the wings of Joy and have not yet touched down! God has blessed the works of my hands and the searching of my Spirit, and I can safely say I am happier than I have ever been – and it is a Joy which will remain, because it comes from Christ, and the Joy of the Lord is not affected by my circumstances.

Since returning home, I have been indeed busy. 40+ hours of work at Jimmy John’s per week, with the rest of my time occupied with much letter-writing and video editing. I’ve been slightly overwhelmed with all the various tasks which have been demanding my time and attention, but it’s been manageable by taking them one at a time and trusting God to be able to accomplish everything He’s given me to do.

The big news is that me and Peter’s film is nearly completed and ready for preview screenings. The only thing we need before we can complete it is a complete, custom orchestral score, which by God’s grace will be acquired in good time. If any of you know me very well at all, you are aware of my deep and abiding love of film scores and soundtracks, and this aspect of the film’s production is one which has me extremely excited. I cannot wait to see how God will provide the composer and music for this film: it is the one aspect which will unify the film and lift it to a higher level of dramatic potency. We have high hopes of our film as we prepare to put it through the festival circuit, and it while it will be a great burden lifted to have the post-production process completed, it will be thrilling indeed to see where the film goes and where it takes us in our respective pursuits and careers. God has blessed the film beyond all expectations in every aspect of the production, and it blows the mind to think where He can take it if we leave it all to Him.

This year, thus far, has been as eventful as any I’ve experienced, and yet from my viewpoint I see little happening for the rest of summer but working and making our film known. Not a tremendously exciting prospect, but I know that as I seek God’s will for me moment to moment, He will bring to pass such wonders and marvels in my life that even if I could foresee them, I could not take them in for their brilliance and magnitude. CS Lewis wrote that “Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment ‘as to the Lord.’ It is only our daily bread we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.” This is my greatest prayer now: that, in the midst of the Joy and Peace that God has given me during these past two weeks, I might have the prudence and humility to accept and obey the commands He has given me RIGHT NOW – and not presume to know His plans well enough to jump ahead, rushing into fulfilling those while my present lessons remain unlearned, my present instructions unobeyed, and my present steps untaken. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, and the will of God is something in which we can stand even on our way to our final calling. This is then my greatest prayer, to remain patient and willing to keep His moment-by-moment teachings and leadings. For then, with my attention on Christ, I will one day wake up, look at the road I am on, and be amazed at how far He’s taken me – instead of dismayed at how far I have to go.

This, as I mentioned, is my second-to-last update. The grand winner of the podcast music clip contest will be announced in the next and final epistle, with this update being your last chance to rack up some points before the climactic drawing which will decide who wins the prize (which shall not be announced until the same hour as the winner!). Scores and winners for all updates will be reviewed and discussed before announcing the final tally and odds of winning that each contestant had, then the winner and his/her prize will be revealed. Stay tuned in that regard, and may the luckiest contestant win!!

While I am dismayed that I have not had much more to discuss in this update than I would have liked, I suppose you are at least grateful that I have not written a thesis requiring half an hour to read/listen to, and even longer to make sense of. In any case, be aware that the Foopaux Podcast will not die: merely the form it has taken as the “Great Expectations” I have so eagerly flung your way, and which you have so obligingly tolerated. I wish above all that everyone receiving these updates, being the wondrous friends to me that you are, may someday soon receive such updates from my own mouth in person, and perhaps give some of your own. There is no way that simple emails and podcasts can substitute for the fun and blessing of in-person fellowship, and I hope greatly to engage in such fellowship with all of you during the course of this year. Always remember that I consider you to be AWESOME. And nothing will convince me otherwise, so just suck it up and admit the same to yourself. Nothing is worse than false modestly except pointless modesty.

Until we meet and enjoy each other’s company, I wish you all of God’s blessings and the Joy and Peace that passes understanding. Love all, and until next time!

~Dave Dueck

PS: Heidi wins the last episode’s music clip contest with 5 points, with Rob trailing closely at 4 points. Congrats, Hide!! Good luck in the upcoming drawing! The music used was:

Clip 1: “D’artagnan (Galliard & Air)” by Michael Kamen from “The Three Musketeers”

Clip 2: “Grand Central” from “K-Pax” by Edward Shearmur

Clip 3: “Kismet” by the group Bond from the soundtrack to “Johnny English”

Clip 4: “Here Comes the Sun” as performed by James Taylor and Yo-Yo Ma on the album “Songs of Joy and Peace”

Clip 5: “Ascension” from “Dracula” by Wojciech Kilar

Clip 6: “Mr Warne!” from “Miss Potter” by Nigel Westlake

Clip 7: “If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee” from the album “Heirs of the Reformation”

Clip 8: “See You in the Sewer” from “Mission: Impossible III” by Michael Giacchino