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Lessons Learned from ‘Lady in the Water’
I will admit up front that I love M. Night Shyamalan movies. He writes, produces, and directs his own films and casts talented actors. His movies have layers to them, often represent some deeper message, and are just plain intriguing. The modern-day fairy tale ‘Lady in the Water’ is no diifferent.
Story (The Lady) speaking to Vick (a writer): A boy, in the midwest of this land, will grow up in a home where your book will be on the shelf and spoken of often. He will grow up with these ideas in his head. He will grow into a great orator. He will speak and his words will be heard throughout this land and throughout the world. This boy will become leader of this country and begin a movement of great change. He will speak of you and your words and your book will be the seeds of many of his great thoughts. They will be the seeds of change.
One of the primary motif’s of this film is that of purpose and destiny. We were all placed here for a reason- on purpose. Vick, a writer in the story played by M. Night, is struggling to write. What he’s put together is a bunch of his random thoughts in a working book titled, “The Cookbook.” He doubts it’s anything great and lacks the motivation to complete it. I think we all feel like Vick sometimes. We have a dream- we get excited enough to start it- but then it fizzles like our confidence in our talent and ability. We think it really doesn’t matter and that’s the end of it.
Vick didn’t know it but his writing will spark great change in the future. Don’t we all wish we could see a step ahead like this? Proverbs 16:9 tells us “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Isn’t that interesting? God is in the details.
Vick’s obscure thoughts and attempts at writing may not seem great now- but they will be. We never know what affect our life will have on another. For every Jesus- there’s a John the Baptist. Someone who plants the seed, someone who lights the match, someone who prepares the way.
Story (The Lady) would later reveal to Vick (the writer) that his sister, who’s an adult, would have seven children but he would only live to see two of them. That may seem like a bummer- but Vick got a glimpse of his destiny. Knowing that the text he’s mulling now may instigate change later and that he won’t live a long life likely fuels a sense of urgency to complete his work and do it to the very best of his ability.
What would happen if we would approach our lives in a similar way? What if you were given your expiration date? What would you do different? What if we started to live as if this was the last day of our life? How long would we wait until we do what we always knew we were meant to? This is how we should live, isn’t it? Why don’t we?
I love what Psalm 39:4 says, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.” Why would we ask for that? Because it brings us focus- just like it did for Vick. We do what we’re meant to do, we become who we were meant to be. That’s why a song like, “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw touches so many people. Instictively, we know we should live today as if it were our last. We’d all likely do things differently if we did. So let’s do it. We aren’t promised tomorrow. The harvest is today- the workers are few- the time is now!
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