This Is Where I Came In!!

Be glad in God! I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry! Phillippians 3:1

Many years ago when our kids were small, we had to drive around 10-15 miles to take them to a movie. It was sometimes difficult to get everyone “ready to roll,” and thus, we often arrived after the movie of choice had begun!

We usually missed the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie by the time we bought snacks and got settled. Even though it wasn’t hard to ascertain the plot of the movie, the kids always wanted to stay and watch the next showing from the beginning! It is entirely possible that they just wanted an excuse to have more popcorn, but none the less, we acquiesced and waited for the movie to begin again!

Usually by the time the next movie had started again, Randy’s patience was running thin, but the kids were totally absorbed. Suddenly, Randy would stand up and announce, “All right ya’ll, this is where we came in! Let’s go!!

The expression This is where I came in originates from the practice of continuous movie screenings in early 20th century cinemas. The viewers could enter a film in progress, stay to watch the part they missed, and identify their entry point to others.

The phrase is also used to describe a situation where a discussion, argument, or project has returned to its starting point often indicating that things are going in circles or have an unresolved pattern. At this point, folks are known to say, This is where I came in!

Most teachers I know were subjected to faculty meetings every week! We were required to attend, but usually after the first ten minutes, most of us were thinking, This is where I came in!.

I’m pretty sure that God feels like This is where I came in in regard to many in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and this world of today. People in all of these had occasions where they ignored God, they disobeyed God, or they just refused to listen.

Adam and Eve are the classic case of disobedience. God only asked one thing of them, “Do not eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Satan was able to tempt them into doing just that, and God probably said, This is where I came in!

The Israelites, despite witnessing God’s power, repeatedly ignored His request to trust and obey Him. That’s when God said, This is where I came in, and decreed that they would not enter the Promised Land.

The parable in Luke of a rich man and Lazarus, tells of a rich man who refused to listen to the needs of Lazarus. After the rich man’s death, he found himself in eternal torment emphasizing the consequences of refusing to listen to God. God said, This is where I came in and punished the rich man.

The world of today has views which ignore God, disobey God, and refuse to listen to Him. For example, people may believe that science dispells the idea that miracles exist because it goes against scientific principles. God says, This is where I came in!

God says, “Thou shall not kill”, and there are people who continue to do just that in this world. God says, This is where I came in!

In the scripture above, Paul would have us to remember not to tire of hearing the scripture that tells us to obey God, to listen to God, and to never ignore His teachings. Don’t tire and think This is where I came in!. The scripture and teachings are definitely worth repeating. Never tire of telling it over and over.

There is an old hymn, I Love To Tell The Story, that expresses the need to repeat the wonders of God.

I love to tell the story of unseen things above. Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story because I know tis true; It satisfies my longing as nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, Twill be my theme in glory; To tell the old, old, story of Jesus and His love. Words and music by Arabella Hankey and William Fischer