What it Can Become

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ---- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax.

I've written about my young movie buddies, a brother and sister, the two youngest children of one of my friends, and how I see way more kid movies than grown-up ones because ... well, because my movie buddies are 12 and 8 years old. If someone would have told me a couple of years ago that I would be learning some huge life lessons from all the kid movies I've seen, I would have probably laughed and said, "Not hardly." And yet, those of you who are long-time readers of my blog know that more than a few times, I've shared some deep truths I've gleaned from the films I've watched with my young friends. So this evening, I picked up my little movie buddies and we went to see The Lorax ... a 3D film adaptation from the children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss.

If you don't know the story, you should go see the movie ... it's loaded with lessons about greed, love, hope, forgiveness, trust, dishonesty and restoration, and it's peppered with some great action and comedic moments as well. Not too long into the movie, a line was uttered by the Once-Ler (who is an interesting character to say the least) ... "It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become." The Once-Ler was talking about a seed, folks ... a tiny little tree seed ... and when I heard the line, I immediately thought about the parable in the Bible of the sower and the seed. "It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become." God chooses all sorts of different ways to sow seeds into our hearts and minds, and He knows that it's not about who we are, it's about who we can become if we allow Him to grow those tiny seeds He plants within us.

When I dropped the kids off at their house after the movie, they both gave me great big hugs and thanked me for taking them to the movie. I was smiling as I climbed in my car and headed for home, and I thought about a conversation I had a week or so ago with the kids' mom ... a conversation in which I told her that God has used her kids to touch my heart in a big, big way. I thought about her response to my words ... "I've known for a long time that God is using my kids in your life ... I've known for a long time." You see, God planted a seed of love in my heart for those kiddos, but He also planted seeds of love in their hearts for me ... seeds of love that He is using to help me get better. I'm so beyond grateful that my friend and her husband continue to allow me to spend time with their children ... so beyond grateful that my little movie buddies care a whole awful lot ... a whole awful lot. You know ... we adults could learn some mighty big lessons from kiddos ... some mighty big lessons indeed.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ---- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax.