Sunday 23 March 2014

Words Can Change a Mind

“The heart is not so easily changed but the head can be persuaded”
from the movie Frozen

I just love these words, a heart loves who it loves, it is difficult to change that but the head, that’s another story, words can change a mind…I love that.

I just came home from an amazing little holiday in Mexico, solo…I had the best time…snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, eating, talking, reading, sleeping, simply doing whatever I wanted…yes, amazing!

On the way home I watched a movie that my granddaughters have been obsessed with and I thought, ‘here is my chance.’  Frozen, a really sweet Disney movie about love, true love… and yes a kiss is needed.  Of course I love that, who wouldn’t?  But here is the twist, it is not the love of Prince Charming, his sweet kiss, but the love found between sisters, the love of family, true love.  And it is this love that saves the day…perfect.

This little movie has all sorts of trouble, just like my life; just like yours; trouble, trouble, boil and bubble…will we ever really be out of it?  Sometimes we are and it seems like sweet sailing, life is good, look at me!  But then a storm comes out of nowhere, it seems like these rough waves will never end, life is hard, save me!  Sometimes, we don’t even know we are in trouble and it seems like easy street, life is a masquerade, it all depends on me!

It all depends on me…lonely words, don’t you think?  I liked Rob’s sermon this morning, talking about fools and correction, teaching and being reminded, being open to the advice of others, being open to change. This little movie was about that too, a sister who thought she could not be changed, that she could not be loved, that she was not redeemable and it was about another sister who was trying to convince that all these could be true, that indeed they were true…and that she was worth the convincing.

I have had all of these thoughts today, about God’s word, the story of David, Nabal and Abigail, a story of poor decisions, life, trouble, correction and what it takes to change direction all in the midst of a Disney movie…how simple is that. 

In the midst of my trouble, I want to know God’s grace, I want to be teachable and I want someone to come alongside me to remind me of who I am, to convince me that I am worth it, to help me see that I am heading for open seas, to let me know it would be better to turn around to safer waters.  Yes, I want someone like that to save my day.  But someone like that needs to do it all out of love and this in the end is the only way.

The greatest of these is love; Jesus says these words, given as a gift, an instruction, important above all to living, to living in the midst of this life, an instruction that puts focus on a response that in the end will always save the day.  Words said in love can change a mind.


I love that.