The Similarities of Fiction and Reality
I love Christmas time and especially Christmas movies. There are the classics of course; Miracle on 34th St., White Christmas, A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, etc. There are a bunch of TV Christmas movies that are really good as well. Then there are some great shorter animated Christmas shows; Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, etc. My wife and I are big movie fans anyway and at Christmas time we try to watch as many Christmas movies as we can.
While watching one of these movies recently I was aware once again of how most all of them are the same basic story repeated. Yet I watch them over and over. I know in the beginning how things are going to go. There is going to be those people that are or want to be in a relationship of some kind; friend, family or romantic. Then you have the trouble that happens. It might be a series of calamities or events that cause problems. Maybe there’s a person who is a selfish trouble maker or just isn’t the right fit. Then after the struggle everything works out and there you have it…a happy ending.
One of my personal favorite Christmas movies is the Polar Express. It has such a great story. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is about a young boy who is beginning to doubt the reality of Santa Clause. He’s woke up by a loud noise in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve and finds a train parked in front of his house. It’s the Polar Express. He boards the train and it takes him along with other kids to the North Pole to meet Santa. Along the way there are a bunch of obstacles to overcome. Through his diligence and the help of others he makes the trip successfully. After this journey he is reassured and believes.
I have come to the conclusion that there are a great many similarities between these Christmas shows and life as a Christian. Life is full of difficulties and situations that may or may not be direct results of things that we have done. Either way we have to deal with the situations that we find ourselves in. It is great to have the support of family and friends when going through difficulties. This is not always the case. Some people aren’t as fortunate in this area. Regardless Christ is a friend that we all can count on. Christmas is after all the celebration of He’s birth. Just like in these movies, as a Christian, my story will have a happy ending and I believe that yours can too. It does however, require that you believe.
If you haven’t seen it yet you should watch the Polar Express, live your live and get your ticket to ride and BELIEVE!