While You Were Sleeping
In 1939 Clark Gable recited a line which has become arguably the most quoted movie line ever...
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
The movie was Gone With the Wind. An epic historical romance film adapted from the 1936 novel written by Margaret Mitchell. What a quote. I wonder if Clark knew it when he spoke it. I wonder if at the age of 38 years old, his life would ever be the same after he spoke it. Did the Screenwriter, Sidney Howard know what he was doing? Apparently, the line was in Margaret Mitchell's book initially, however the "Frankly" bit was added to the film.
I think the eternal impact of the line has less to do with the words spoken (albeit at the time damn was a significant curse word, and more often than not carried censorship status), but the lasting significance remains frozen in time by the attitude Rhett Butler had when he pressed upon her, spoke them. Rhett was all about attitude; strong, firm, bold, and resilient. His counterpart, Scarlet O'hara, was also strong, firm, bold and resilient - the only difference between the two of them wasn't that he was "male" and she was "female". The difference was ... Scarlet gave a damn, and Rhett DIDN'T.
QUOTED MOST OFTEN - IN MY HEAD
I, like many movie watchers, have quotes in my head which roll around regularly, one liners which often frame my consious mind, subconsiously. I can't tell you the amount of times I have thought to myself when dealing with my kids, "I'm going to make them an offer they can't refuse." (Godfather, 1972) Completed by the jowl brush of the back of my hand.
Or the amount of times after a long road trip I have immediately gotten out of the car and shouted "FREEDOM!!!!" (Braveheart, 1995)
Of course, I have mulled over and considered to myself the "You complete me." (Jerry Maguire, 1996) phrase when lusting over a piece of chocolate cake or a new pair of shoes - odd how it doesn't ever really cross my mind in relationships... haha - except of course for Jesus. (Preach!)
While I often mindlessly quote lines from emotional moments in Cinema, there is one quote I quote the most because, I think it is the one I think about the most.
THE SCENE
A woman is madly in love with a stranger. He's a handsome man she sees everyday. He has soft brown eyes that are kind, considerate and friendly. Not only does he make eye contact with her, he smiles at her when he sees her. She is a commuter train ticket taker and light's up like a candle whenever he chooses her lane to purchase from. She doesn't know his name, or anything about him, but she has fallen madly in love with him.
One day, as he is waiting for his train to arrive, he is actively mugged and the struggle causes him to fall onto the train tracks, no one notices or cares to help him. With the train quickly approaching our heroine Annie jumps onto the track to move his body and saves his life. Unfortunately however, the man ends up sustaining a head injury and ends up commotose. What happens next is pure romantic comedy gold, and my daughter Madeline and I watch the 1995 movie While You Were Sleeping, every year at Christmas time.
!!SPOILER WARNING!!
Our heroine never actually marries coma man (Peter), but instead, while he is sleeping she falls in love with his brother. The final few lines of the movie have Annie answering Peter when he asks, "When exactly did you fall in love with my brother?" she replies, "While you were sleeping."
THAT'S TOO EARLY
I wake up each day at 3AM. I go to bed each night by 10PM. I blame this movie. I'm kidding.
I must say, being up before my household and choosing to workout, pray, read, write and do all the things I want to do while everyone else is sleeping is quite empowering. I feel more productive in these morning hours than at any other point in my day. Does my body get "tired" yes. Am I caffinated throughout the day, yes.
Do we all need to wake up early to catch the preverbial worm? NO. In Psalm 127:2 the Bible states, "In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves."
The key words to focus on in this statement are "toiling for food to eat", just like how Scarlet Butler was obssessed with how people thought - when you work while everyone is sleeping from a position of stress and an overall attitude of GRIND IT OUT, you are going to B U R N O U T. Your anxiety will be at 100%, your stress will lead you to health complications, and your life will be cut short.
The Message Version of this scripture puts it this way:
"If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?"
We serve an efficient God.
The God we serve doesn't like wasting time. Catch that - He doesn't care much about wasted material things - grass gets thrown in the fire, extra manna rots, Solomon had waste piles of silver. What He does consider however is how we handle our time. Our time is the only finite resource we have. Scripture encourages us regularly to be mindful of our days and hours. To be "watchful", "present" and in-the-moment. When we stress and worry and work our fingers to the bone within our limited hours of the day we aren't being efficient. We are attempting to PUSH the cart, instead of letting it PULL us.
I am currently in a season of being pulled. My diet has needed pulling, my fitness has needed pulling, my education has needed pulling and I am actively seeking the Lord for direction on how I should be pulled next. What causes me to wake up at 3AM? The PULL to be better, do more... loose the weight and cast off the baggage. I don't wake up at 3AM to workout because I HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, no. I wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning because I am being pulled into the next season of my life. A 50 year old mother of seven children who refuses to allow the heaviness of life weigh her down, a woman who has sought the Lord for '"time" and He has given it to her.
I "work" while everyone is sleeping, because this is the time when God has chosen to work His good work in ME.
"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Holy Spirit-
Thank you for working in me. Thank you for giving me the strength and the ability to stay alert as I go through my day as efficiently as possible. You are the Potter and I am the clay. Mold me into the priceless artifact You believe me to be. Wealth and riches have I none - but what I do have, the greatest gift you have given me, aside from my Salvation in Christ is the precious time with which I have to spend on this earth. Move me, mold me, shape me, and as I begin to see the outward manifestation of the inward transformation: the tangible knowledge, weight loss, discipled mind... please help me to stay humble. Give me the ability to be relatable to others. Encouraging and uplifting all I meet with the reality that if I can "do it" they can do it too.
-Jessicah
On my agenda today:
Celebrate our 14 year-old Teddy's birthday with the big kids
Head to the pumpkin patch
Ship orders
Finish sewing some new designs
Meal prep
Take a nap!
About the Author: Jessica Heilman is Co-Founder, Designer and Writer for 15Evergreen.com. You can learn more about her as well as her daughter Madeline, and their ministry work and their company by clicking this link: ABOUT US
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