Lessons from Moana

From Wednesday, July 15, 2020:

"Here. This is where my favorite moment of today happened. It was around 10 a.m., but I can't imagine anything topping it."

If you saw my Facebook post on that day, you may remember that this was the morning after we watched the movie Moana for the first time. The kids and I took a walk around my parents' neighborhood on this morning and visited some familiar spots from my childhood. This playground is not one of them, but the tennis courts behind it were there. My stepsister, Stephanie gave me tennis lessons there.

Back on topic, about the time we approached this playground, the kids were talking about the movie and told me they loved Moana and all the Christian elements they saw. I had seen a couple, but not wanting to lead them, I said I'd love to hear what it was that they had noticed. We talked for at least half an hour! The kids bounced back and forth with the different correlations they had made. I was absolutely amazed by all the lessons they pulled out of the movie. They found so many!

Here is a list of what I could remember after we got back to the house and I had paper and pen available. Spoiler alert! If you haven't watched the movie yet, you might want to stop here until after you have seen it. I will be mentioning parts of the movie below.

Lessons from Moana

• What you think is good and you depend on can turn out to attack you.
• We need to consider to what we give our devotions.
• In the movie: The coconuts and the Kakamora
• Know who you are and whose you are.
• We recognized this as a major theme throughout the movie.
• We may need to remind ourselves of this repeatedly.
• We are NOT our talents, skills, careers, possessions,... That may be something special about us, but it is not who we are.
• In the movie: Moana repeated this often. Maui needed to know who he was. So did Te Ka.
• Jesus came for humans and gave everything for us - and yet some people still reject him.
• In the movie, Maui's past made us think of this.
• Anger can hide a person's true self.
• We have to look past exteriors.
• In the movie: This was toward the end, with Te Ka and Moana.
• We should also be aware of what our exteriors communicate.
• In the movie: Maui considered Moana a princess because she was a girl with a pet.
• Satan throws flaming arrows at us.
• In the movie: Like the blow darts from the Kakamora
• Extra lesson: God can use our sins and temptations as well.
• He might do this to get us in line with His plan and purpose.
• In the movie: The ocean hits Maui with a blow dart and he is in a position to teach Moana how to sail.
• Sometimes we say no to God. We can choose to not accept the role He offers us.
• Sometimes God lines things us so we have to follow His will.
• In the movie: The island had no more fish, so something had to be done.
• (Side note: Don't be fooled into thinking we can thwart God's will by saying no. He will accomplish His will. Someone else might get the benefit of being involved in a certain way rather than us, though.)
• People can distract and discourage us - even well-meaning family members.
• In the movie: Moana's parents tried to stop her from being drawn to the sea. Also, Maui told her, "The ocean chose wrong."
• People can encourage us. Know who your support people are.
• In the movie: Moana's grandmother encouraged her to follow her calling.
• Satan will try to convince us to stay where we feel safe and comfortable, without need.
• In the movie: Moana's parents and the villagers tried to convince her that there was no need to ever leave their island, that it had everything they would ever need and they were happy.
• Sometimes messages can be repeated so many times and strongly that it can drown out God's call to us.
• These messages can come from family members, our society/culture, etc. - even the church sometimes.
• In the movie: Moana's parents and the villagers repeatedly told her there was no need for her to ever leave the island.
• Extra lesson: God keeps calling!
• In the movie: The ocean continued to captivate Moana and draw her towards it.
• God has a plan for us - even from early in our lives!
• In the movie: The ocean "chose" Moana when she was a toddler.
• Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
• God rewards us when we obey.
• In the movie: At the end, Moana gets the shell. (Plus, her village is saved!)
• God gives us one step at a time.
• In the movie: At the beginning, the ocean gave Moana a shell. Once she got that one, another shell was revealed...and then another, and so on.
• We may not see what God is doing, but after we have obeyed, sometimes we are allowed to see the full circle.
• In the movie: Toddler Moana was collecting shells at the beginning, but wasn't able to keep one. At the end of the movie, the ocean gave her a shell.
• You can serve God, even if you are young.
• In the movie: Moana was young, but wise. She set an example for the others.
• 1 Timothy 4:12 - "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
• We need to be voyaging.
• Don't let fear keep us from doing what we're supposed to do.
• We need to be going outside of the church. We need to be willing to leave the comfortable and familiar surroundings of our churches and Christian friends.
• In the movie: Moana's tribe used to be voyagers, but they let fear stop them.
• We don't all have the same call.
• In the movie: Toddler Moana loved the stories her grandma told, but the other children didn't. Also, the ocean chose her, not the whole tribe.
• Being a Christian sets us apart.
• In the movie: Moana had to leave the island on her own.
• (Side note and extra lesson: Don't be unwilling to accept help, though.)
• In the movie: Maui helps Moana. In ways, so do other characters. Moana's grandmother did her own things and that set her apart.
• Following God isn't always easy. Sometimes we want to quit. Sometimes we get another chance.
• Sometimes we have to leave people, places, and things we love.
• Take risks.
• In the movie: Moana had to do some hard things. For one, she had to leave home and the approval of her parents and tribe.
• Don't get cocky.
• In the movie: Moana released an arrow line and said, "Oh yeah. I did that," only to have another onslaught of attacks. Also, Maui considered himself a hero, but was told that was not how humans remembered him.
• Be willing to learn.
• In the movie: Moana went into the cavern to search for the answer to her question. She also learned to sail.
• The hero is not always who you expect it to be. Look for the unlikely heroes.
• In the movie: Moana was a young girl. It wasn't the strong, magical demi-god who was the hero.
• You can be a hero.
• Evil can be disguised or hidden.
• In the movie: Tamatoa (the sparkly crab) was hidden under all his glistening treasure, something that could be quite enticing to some.
• People can mislead us and put us in bad situations.
• In the movie: Maui knew who Tamatoa was and what to expect from him, but he didn't warn Moana about what to expect. Earlier, Maui also tricked Moana into getting trapped in a cave.

My children made my heart so happy when they shared all of these with me! Now, I'll have to watch the movie again, because it is going to be so much more special to me with all of these lessons.

3 John 4 - "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."