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Happily Ever After
Sunday, January 9, 2011

It's often said nothing good comes out of Hollywood. In my recent spam of movies, I reflected and learnt something. The concept of a happily ever after.

After watching a whole bunch of movies, the night ended off with a romance one. Two friends whom dislike each other that were given guardianship of their mutual best friends' 1 year old daughter after perishing in a car accident. The two had to work together, resolving their differences to raise her up.

It reached a part where the guy ruined his career because he had to take care of the child, thus bringing it to his work. At that point of time, things sucked for him. From the character's perspective, he just lost his chance for his dream promotion, he had new responsibilities thrown unto him, and with all his slackish way of life, he now needed to make some good out of it, for others.

My mind paused at that moment. I thought that, nah, as bad as things are, I'm sure he'll be fine, they'll get back together and stuff. Everything will be good in the end. Wont it? And then it dawned upon me as I reflected upon my own life. My friendships. I couldn't say the same. I couldn't see how things would be good for both of us in the future, all I see is a grey cloud, with the fog clearing up bit by bit as I draw near each day.

But, life is life, and movies are movies. We all know it's make belief. It isn't real. It always ends with a happily ever after where all is bliss. The same doesn't happen with life. Maybe that's partially why we like movies. Fantasy. Dreams. The unreal world.

It led me to think about what makes it so unreal. Why are we always so positive about movies. No matter what troubles or dangers the protagonist faces, the difficulties and impossibilities he meets, we're sure he'll make it through. Somehow. I'd like to think of it as the stereotypical concept of "happily ever after".

No matter how bad the present, we are sure something, whatever it is will happen. We know the heroes will always win their fight. Almost every single fight scene the hero will always triumph at the last minute even if the scale is tipped 99-1. It's hard to find a show where the hero loses, for good, without coming back. Even when the Narnians were heavily outnumbered and cornered, Aslan returned at the final moment for victory. Harry Potter no matter how extreme the situation makes it out fine. Can you imagine his number of brushes with death throughout the whole series? And oh, in those love stories, no matter how bad the couple quarrels, or how hard it is for them to be together, it happens (in most of the cases)

Why then would life be so uncertain then. If we were sure some good will happen at the end in movies, why can't we think the same for our lives. How do we see ourselves 10 years from now? Good? Bad? Or a neutral but negatively inclined position. Comparing with the previous point, are movies really that far from reality?

I think, our lives, ought to be the same way. It isn't something just left to be daydreamed or played out on theatre screens. Life shouldn't be bleak and uncertain. There should be that knowledge of our end. A one that knows all will be well and purposeful. Even if the present is bleak, and things seems hopeless, we should have the end in mind, that not only will things be okay, it's gonna be more than ok.

And it's not some lame positive thinking. It's because God's there. All throughout the stories of old, God has shown and fulfilled his promise of good well ending. Seeing past his most desolated and abandoned experiences, Joseph had the faith in God, that whatever it was to be, it was meant for good.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

It promises of a good for our lives. And all we have is to take hold of it. Having good in our life doesnt just mean a blissful life throughout. It means what's best for us, which through life, be it the struggles and difficulties, God will make good of it. Just like the movies. We can see every part of the story being crucial to the final ending. Whether trial or bliss, each and every moment counts to making that individual into who they are at the end. And that's just how God is in our lives. He's the director of our life.

When it comes to believing that everything will end well, it's sad to think that some people have more faith in movies than in God. Can we have that same, if not stronger, faith in God for our lives?

Life as a movie, if we know the ending we see as good, we know it'll end well. With God as the Author of all scripts, all indeed will be well! We should boast of the same confidence in our end as we did towards fiction. Because the goodness of life is more than fiction or imagination. It's a reality. All we have to do, is to lay claim on the promises of God, to have faith in Him, and know in our hearts that the story; our story, will end well.

To God be the glory.

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