Tonight I saw a pre-screening of the movie
The Vow. I was very surprised by the movie for a few reasons.. first of which is because it is inspired by true events; so, while it seems initially that it will have all the classic elements of a typical chick flick with drama, but the perfect-man-wins-in-the-end-because-they-were-meant-to-be, it actually has more real elements, real emotions, and when all was said an done, a real picture of the couple at the end than is to be expected, and it turns out different than I was expecting (in a satisfying but not entirely predictable way).
I cannot give away too much of the movie, but I walked away inspired by true love (not the movie/hollywood/chick flick kind of love), but real, broken, hurting, confusing, and sometimes totally unfocused love. The main character (Channing Tatum) is not perfect, he loses his temper, walks away, and in one instances punches someone out.. but in other instances he forgets that his wife does not remember him at all and is just in love with his wife and nurturing towards her. The wife (Rachel McAdams) loses her memory in a car accident that is not their fault, and subsequently reverts back to who she was five years prior before several major events in her life, including marrying her husband. She does a great job of portraying the confusion, the personality differences, and the struggles someone in her place would be in... Including the torn emotions of what you remember, who you remember loving conflicting with the clear love and patience of someone who says they will love you always.
I strongly recommend the movie (a lot of girls cried, although I don't cry at movies, so that wasn't something I struggled with), not because it is a chick flick (although that helps) but because in the end you walk away satisfied... especially when you see a picture and are updated as to the real couple's life now.
One of the lines that struck me was when they got married (in flashbacks), part of the vows she wrote to him were "... And I promise to always make my home in your heart."
Two thoughts pertaining to that line...
How does that look if it is applied to Jesus making His home in our heart? And, do we make our home in His?
And, the commitment it takes to make something your home is daily in good times and bad, but even more so when it is someone's heart, that is a profoundly difficult statement. It is one that I think makes sense and speaks of dedication and purposeful and intentional love. That type of love seeks out the other one, it is patient, it is kind, it does not want what belongs to others, it does not brag it is not proud, it is not rude, it does not look out for its own interests, it does not
easily become angry, it does not keep track of other people's wrongs, it is not happy with evil, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, it never gives up, and it never fails.
