During the holiday seasons I watch a lot of Hallmark channel movies. Most of these movies are oriented to the season and most of them are geared toward showing love for someone or for showing love toward one another. These are great movies that always have great purpose to them, do not show immorality, no vulgar scenes, and do not use any profanity. They are genuinely good family movies.
These movies show a lot of people being brought together through circumstances other than what we expect in everyday life. Actually, it could be everyday life, we just choose not to recognize it because it may get in way of our earthly desires or wants and we fail to recognize what is right in front of our nose.
Many of you may have seen the Christmas in Conway movie. It was about a man wanting to give his dying wife a final wish and give her a ride on a Ferris Wheel until she passed away. The only thing he could do was to purchase one and put it in his backyard which was in a historic district of town. His next door neighbor, which had grievances that went back to both families’ grandfathers, was trying to be the Christmas showplace of the town and complained about what was going on next door with the Ferris Wheel.
The man, a staunch, self-righteous man, had trouble getting along with people and most of the problem was his grief that he was carrying inside because of his sick wife. He had trouble working with the hospice nurse who came to live with them until his wife would eventually go home to be with the Lord. The man had hope he could take care of his wife without the help of trained professionals.
He had trouble with a young man that eventually helped him construct his project because the young man had stolen something from him in the past. He had no faith in the young man. Yet the young man turned his life around because the man’s dying wife was a former school teacher of his and forgave him of his problems and showed him how he could turn his life around.
We are told in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; “Love is patient, love is kind. It does note envy, it does not boast. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.“ Verse 8 also starts, “Love never fails.”
As the story ends the man learned from the hospice nurse that not only did she care for his wife, she cared for him by not letting him run her off and helped him overcome some of the grief that he was harboring. The young man didn’t give up on the man either and showed him that all he wanted was forgiveness because he wasn’t the same person he was in the past. He had actually done something with his life and just wanted to be a help to others, especially the dying lady because of her faith in him and her nurturing him in the right direction. Both show unconditional love for the man.
The lady next door, that wanted all the glory for her Christmas showplace, eventually came around because she witnessed the love the man gave to his wife in erecting a Ferris Wheel in his backyard overcoming the obstacles he faced from her, the law, and others.
It is my hope that all of us as we face each day of the rest of our lives, is that we will look around and help those in need. Many are going to say they don’t want our help but we can help them through love and prayerful concern. Each one of us will need to exercise our faith, hope, and love in our neighbors and friends.
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30 days in God’s Word. If you would like to have a copy send a $15.00 check or money order to Gary Andrews at 504 Enchanted Drive, Yazoo City, MS 39194.
