It Takes Courage

I finally got around to seeing the movie, 'The Help' last week.  When I saw the previews for it earlier in the summer, the thing that hit me most was the story about Skeeter's desire to be a writer.  Even from the trailer when you hear Skeeter receiving advice on the phone from an editor, you can sense that this was going to be a gripping story.  The editor told Skeeter to write about something that disturbs her--particularily if it bothers no one else.  And for me that is the foundational plot of this movie--taking the courage to do something that no one else will do.

Skeeter's courage is initially based on her desire to write and get a job in New York.  Throughout the movie though you sense that her courage is fueled by her desire to expose the unfair treatment of the black household help in Jackson, Mississippi around the time of the Civil Rights Movement.  Aibileen is Skeeter's primary source for her interviews.  When Skeeter asks her why she is willing to participate, after initially declining,  Aibileen says 'God'. 

The Help is a very moving story interspersed with humor and some tearful moments.  It is a story about redemption, following our heart and not letting our desire to be accepted or belong dictate what we do or believe.  It is much like our walk with Christ--or what a walk is supposed to look like.  God gives us the Holy Spirit to take those bold steps of courage.  It is up to us whether we will follow Him down a road that may seem scary or uncertain.

As I left the movie, the line that stood out most to me was when Skeeter's mother told her that sometimes courage skips a generation (referring to her own inability to not cave in to peer pressure).  Then she tells Skeeter that she is proud of her.  I felt a sense of God's love for me when I heard those words. 

I can't exactly say that courage skipped a generation in my family.  After the death of my mother this year one thing I have learned is that although she was mentally ill, she did have courage.  She persevered through years of psychiatric treatment.  Unfortunately I didn't see it in those terms until recently.  Her courage and her faith has inspired me to be courageous too. 

So as I start down this path of writing that God has placed in my heart, I will cling to His voice telling me that I am His beloved Daughter and that He is proud of me.  That is where my courage comes from.  What about you?