Don't Chase After the Meaningless

have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.- Ecclesiastes 1:14
 
Kevin, a 36- year-old actor, is tired of the Hollywood life. Meaningless sex, superficial acting jobs and the single life had taken its toll. Desperate to find a job that bring meaning to his life, Kevin struggles to find someone that will believe in his work. But finding that person is harder to find than he thought. His Manny director says, “Kevin, I know you care about the character, and I also know that you are a thirty- something actor whose biggest role previously was a three episode arc on Nashville. So say the line or find another job. Because believe me when I say that I’ll have you replaced by Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds or any other handsome Ryan faster than the time it takes for you to get to your car.  Trust me, my ratings will go up.” 
 
Unfortunately, Kevin knows the void he feels in his life did not come overnight, but rather when he was a child:
“You know where it all went wrong for me? It was 1986. They were sending The Challenger in space. Do you remember the Challenger? Christa McAuliffe… she was going to be the first teacher in space, right? She was going to change the world. I don’t know how, but at least in second grade you could feel that. The middle of the school day the teacher brings in a TV. We’re all sitting there watching the launch, right? We’re all just sitting there. A bunch of seven- year- olds just watching and then boom! The whole thing just explodes. Little pieces of sweet Christa McAuliffe all came raining down on the state of Florida. It was awful. Maybe that was when I realized trying to change the world just leads to being blown up into little pieces all over Florida. Maybe that’s how I wound up as the Manny.”
 
Kevin wants his work to matter. He wants to make a difference in people’s lives, not produce superficial fluff that is only for cheap entertainment. He chases after this in his work and in his love relationship.  Later in the season, we learn that Kevin had a wife whom he cheated on and he is working hard to reconnect with her. However, a call from Ron Howard makes him question if he should take a job on a new movie or stay to work on his relationship with Sophie. Will he receive the love he desperately seeks? Will he create meaningful work for his fans to enjoy?
 
Do you ask these questions too? We all do. God has a plan and wants you to contribute to the world in a meaningful way. What do you need to do to find that meaningful love and create the meaningful work you desire?