Calendar Girls

Psalm 45:1 -- "My heart is stirred by a noble theme and I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer."

If you've read ANYTHING I've written on this blog or the hubs I submit on hubpages.com then you've heard me say - I live in a house full of guys. I'm the only female if you don't count the cats. Chick-Flicks are few and far between in our home but this week-end I managed to sneak one in while the guys were out doing other things.

As I sat in the rocker/recliner, Kleenex in hand, Djibouti [my cat] purring on my lap, I was deeply moved by the amazing group of actresses on the screen and let the tears freely flow down my cheeks. In the movie, Calendar Girls, one of our heroins looses her husband right off the bat. I couldn't help but allow myself to be pulled into Knapely, England and mourn with this woman and her friends.

There were several ... and I DO mean SEVERAL things about this movie that I loved and could write about, but the one thing that stands out the most is the parting words left by our recently deceased spouse. The quote is as follows:

"The flowers of Yorkshire are like the women of Yorkshire. Every stage of their growth has its own beauty, but the last phase is always the most glorious. Then very quickly they all go to seed. Which makes it ironic my favorite flower isn't even indigenous to the British Isles, let alone Yorkshire. I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower. For me that's because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life."

I had to pause the film and just ball my eyes out. And for the record - I HIGHLY recommend this film for it's inspiration, the deep rooted friendships of women, community resourcefulness, and the passion shared for Leukemia research.  AND -- I could write an entire blog about the phases of women and the pride that this one husband had for his bride - even after all the years, the child baring, the aging and the experiences he shared with this woman. [As I said - for SO MANY, MANY reasons I LOVED this film].

Nestled deep within all the other things that I adore about this movie - was the mental image of a sunflower field. In my head I could see a time-lapsed exposure of brilliantly colored sunflower heads watching the sun pass over them, never losing focus of the one thing they hold most important. The focus - on LIGHT. On strength. On nourishment. Even in the rain these amazing flowers reach - stretch root and stem toward the light shining through the clouds. Very truly a satellite dish for the sun.

WE are a satellite dish for the SON. And in Psalm 45:1 we see that even if we aren't gifted with the talent of Shakespeare or the eloquent well written lost husband in the move Calendar Girls - our hearts are a beautiful thing when they are focused on Jesus. What words might not grant us a Pulitzer, or even an honorable mention become the highly sought after yearnings of humbled lips lifted toward heaven in gratitude. In need. In praise.

Wherever our one true Light is, no matter how far it feels we have to crane our hearts, stretch our spirits to find it on this chaotic planet - we CAN find it. Always. Unlike the colorful field of sunflowers - our Son isn't the one moving - that we should angle in the direction of His glory and grace. WE are the ones that move. All we have to do to get back, is ask to be received.