And I’m going to keep that celebration going because I know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. Philippians 1:19-20 (The Message)
Living in an active adult community (don’t you love that description?) provides opportunities to do all kinds of things: golf, tennis, bridge, hike, bike, or pickleball to name a few. I don’t do any of those things but I started a group for ladies in my neighborhood called Chicks Flick. We go to the movies our husbands never want to see followed by lunch.
This group began when I noticed that there wasn’t much to do if you were a single woman, either widowed or divorced. I’ve been there so maybe that is why I felt a tug by the Spirit to do something about it. We meet irregularly depending on the release of movies that catch our interest.
This week we saw Soul Surfer about Bethany Hamilton. I’d read about it and decided that even though it was not like our regular fare, it would be a good one for us to see. It was amazing…a three soggy kleenex rating.
It is a true story of a young teenage girl headed to being a champion as a world class surfer who is brutally attacked by a shark. Her arm is bitten off near the shoulder and she nearly bleeds to death en route to the hospital. We watch her struggle and question God as to why? why now? what now? Yet, her faith, and that of her family, shines through as she courageously gets back into the water and up on her board.
Her youth pastor gave a lesson on perspective to the youth group at the beginning of the story. She showed them a magnified picture of a pink blob and asked what it was. They guessed it was the inside of the brain. Rather, it was the outside of a walnut.
Stepping back and looking at it in real time and space gave a completely different perspective. Bethany remembered this lesson and made the choice to use this experience to make a difference in the lives of many and inspire young women. I’m so glad my grandgirlies saw this movie.
But, Bethany also inspired me to step back and look at the big picture and not get caught up in all the trivia and details that bring me down. She triumphed and so will we when we look to the One who knows the end of the story and rely on Him for our strength.
How about lunch and a movie?