Last Holiday

Last weekend I went with some friends to the movies, where we saw "Last Holiday." I'll admit, I really wasn't that excited about the movie. The previews looked relatively humorous, but nothing that I was dying to go see. Therefore, my expectations were quite low.

Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. Because I hadn't been told by all of my friends how great it was. And I hadn't read a series of reviews that raved or panned it. I could go in fresh, with no preconceived notions.

But the real reason I think I loved it is because the main character, Georgia (played by Queen Latifah) was a black, inner-city version of me. She was shy, socially awkward (especially around the guy she liked), a homebody who like to cook for other people but was content with her Lean Cuisines. I'm telling you, she was me.

And when she recieved word from her doctor that she had weeks to live, she reacted just like I would: "Why, God?" There was one particular scene, just after the diagnosis, where Georgia was singing in her church choir. And she just starts to sing, in that black choir way, "Why, God? Why is this happening to me? Why?" And though the scene was played comedically (with lots of dancing in the aisles, etc.), it made me cry. My friends were laughing at the comedy, while I was crying at the reality. Because I've done that.

No, I've never manifest my uncertainties with God in the choir in front of my church, but I've cried those same words to God.

"God, why is this happening?"
"Why did you take him away?"
"God, can't you make it stop?"
"Why does it hurt so bad?"
"Why, God?"

And after crying out to God, Georgia decided to live the rest of her life. To take advantage of all of those dreams that she had stuffed into a "Possibilities" book and make it reality. And as I watched the story unfold, I kept thinking that's what I need to do. Not necessarily as dramatically as she did, but the same concept. What things do I want to do, even feel called to do, that I keep putting on the back burner.

I want to make my possibilities realities.