The Impossible

Photo Credit: 2004 Tsunami, David Rydevik (email: david.rydevik at gmail dot com), Stockholm, Sweden.

I'd been putting off watching the movie, The Impossible (you can see the trailer here).

Not sure why.

Maybe because it's a true story about a family who gets swept away by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.  I knew it was going to be pretty intense, and you kind of have to be in a particular mood to watch a movie like that.

When the tsunami disaster happened, I was going through a lot of grief already (you can read about it here) and couldn't bear to watch the news and look at all the devastation and lost lives.

Seeing the trailer for The Impossible must have triggered some more unresolved grief that I wasn't ready to revisit, but at the same time, it looked like a really good movie with superb actors such as Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in the cast.

I tried to resist watching it, but I couldn't.  I knew I needed to face my fears.

After about two weeks of sitting on my shelf (it's from Netflix), the Captain and I finally popped it in the DVD player and plopped down on the couch.

I scarfed down a snack, because I knew once the movie started, I wouldn't be able to eat a thing.

And I was right.

It was a riveting, on the edge of your seat story, and knowing it was true made it all the more intense.

No need for a spoiler alert here, I'm not going to tell you what happens to the family, if anyone survives or not, but I will tell you that you will be moved.

It's about a family.  A family who loved each other deeply.  And, in the midst of the chaos of a devastating natural disaster, a mother struggled to reach out in love when all a person wants to do is survive.

It's hard to fight against that survival instinct, isn't it?

Especially when you're in pain; it's hard to reach out with an open hand and an open heart.  And, when it's all finally over, you just want to forget it and move on.

Helping others might open old wounds.  It might hurt.

But, isn't that what we're asked to do?

To suffer for the name of Christ?

To love the least of these?

To bless others with the blessings we've received?

I don't know what things you've survived, but I know I've survived quite a few already.

And, it's a struggle to die to yourself to love, but at the same time, it's the only way to truly live.

So, I'm that's why I blog for Grace Grows Wings.

To help other moms who have had a baby who lived for only a short time,

Luke Joseph Griese, December 5, 2003, born with Potter's Syndrome

To encourage a couple in a struggling marriage, and

2008, The year the Lord saved and renewed our marriage (only 25% of marriages who lose a child survive)

To inspire those who may not know that God is real that He's in control, and that He's there for us.

Believe me, it's not been easy.

Writing about my stories has sometimes hurt,

it's opened old wounds,

But, it's also helped me heal some, too.

And, it's reminded me over and over again who I am in Christ.

It's helped solidify my faith.  Thanks be to God for His all sufficient grace.

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." (2 Corinthians 5:15)

Update: There is now a cure for Potter's Syndrome and the first child to receive the new medical intervention was born a few weeks ago.  You can read about it here.