Courage Creates Change

Photo Credit: The Help.Com

Well. I finally got to see it yesterday afternoon. Finally.
I went with my gift of a girlfriend next door neighbor and her best friend.

I told her we had to wear our pearls.

I felt it was a pearl worthy event.

Lord knows I haven't been to the movies with a girlfriend in years.

Thank you to my sweet husband who loved on five babies so I could have a little break.

I have been waiting with bated breath to experience on the big screen the
522 page book I devoured in two days.

I may not have cooked, cleaned or folded a single piece of clothing during the reading of this novel.

It is a page turner times ten.

If you haven't seen the movie yet and you haven't read the book either, my humble suggestion is to do yourself a favor and read the book first.

There are little details that go by very quickly on the big screen that you may miss if you haven't read the book. (Like what was written on the check when Hilly opened her letter for one)

The folks seated to my right kept asking their one friend who had read the book a bunch of questions during the movie!

We did not get to sit together. The movie was packed out on a Sunday afternoon even four days after opening day.

Go early. Especially if you want two or more seats together and bring tissues.

Or if you are like me and forgot your tissues, just use the sleeves of the sweater you wore tied around your neck. As long as you don't mind your sweater being covered with black mascara and tears.

Here are a few of my thoughts on the movie. There are too many to count!!  It was life changing for me and I am still wrecked on so many levels this morning after a 4:15 showing yesterday afternoon.

I fell in love with Skeeter and Minny and Aibileen during the reading of the book.

I loved their courage above all else.

Courage creates change.

Courage changes lives.

Courage causes the very reason God created us to come forth and causes fear to take the back seat.

Sometimes we have to be willing to lose everything to discover the reason He created us.

Sometimes (a lot of times) friends will not agree with the thing that you are called to do.  Do it anyway.

One of my favorite parts of the movie (there are SO many)  is the first time Aibileen says to Mae Mobley...

"You is kind. You is smart. You is important. "

I lost it.

When Mae Mobley repeated it back to her later on in the movie.

Forget it.

The sweater sleeves were dripping with mascara.

Our children have deep wells within that hold and remember the words we speak over them.

I have to speak more life.  I have to take motherhood up a few more notches.

More goodness. More love. More wisdom. More encouragement.

Because the world is sitting on ready to tell them otherwise.

Maybe Skeeter had the courage to write and fulfill her calling because of the years of life Constantine had spoken over her as a child.

When they flashed that very moment on the screen and Constantine spoke those words about choosing not to believe the negative things people say about you and how ugly is something that "live up on the inside."

Lost it again. For about the tenth time.

Another one of my favorite parts was at the end when Aibileen said this.....

 "No one had ever asked me how it felt to be me. When I finally got to share it............ I felt free. "

It wrecked me.

There is something about sharing our story.

Sharing our testimony.

The bad things turned into good things. The ashes turned into beauty. The mourning turned into joy.

It takes courage.

It changes lives.


Have you read the book or seen the movie yet?  What did you love the most?