On a recent flight, I had the opportunity to watch the movie "Evan Almighty." I'm going to be honest: the movie was abysmal. It was a waste of good acting talent and two hours of my life. However, it did have one moment of brilliance.

There is a scene where Lauren Graham (Joan) has left Steve Carrell (Evan) with their 3 sons in order to protect herself and their children, for fear Evan has gone insane. (Evan believes God wants him to build an ark to save the world from a flood that is coming on a certain day, September 22 or something.) They're in a restaurant, and the boys go to the bathroom and she's left alone for a few minutes. Morgan Freeman (God), dressed as a waiter, comes over to "take her refill order" and engages her in conversation. When she tells him about the dramatic turn her husband has taken, she says, "What do you think it is?" His answer is, "Opportunity." She looks at him curiously, and he continues. "When someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience, or an opportunity to learn patience? When someone prays for their family to grow closer (which she has prayed for in the beginning of the movie), do you think God gives them warm fuzzy feelings, or an opportunity to grow closer, side by side, like those animals who came on the ark?"

in a movie that was absolutely a waste of brain cells, that was a great point.

it also made the point that God has a master plan, even if we can't see it. All the disasters that happened to Evan and Joan's family ended up working out for the best, and giving them exactly what they had hoped for.

If only the rest of the movie hadn't been a total waste...