Precious Alice

Recently I saw the movies Precious and Alice in Wonderland.  Precious is not a movie I would normally watch, given the content but the main actress was nominated for an academy award.  Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland....well who could resist?

First I must say, Precious is a very *hard* movie, hard to watch, hard to listen to, very hard. period.  I do not recommend viewing it if you have ever had any experience with physical, sexual or any type of abuse.

Alice, if you are familiar with the classic tale, is a fantastical journey through an imaginary place.  I loved the costumes but it was given a Tim Burton twist so I can't say there was much more about it.  Take it or leave it.

I realized that both of these movies actually have very much in common.  Both feature a female as the main character.  One, Precious, it told only negative things her entire life.  She has a very nice name, the word precious, but she is treated as anything BUT 'precious'.  Ironic?  She is severely abused, told she is worthless and stupid.  For her, it is her identity--her identity is that she is 'nothing'.

Alice enters wonderland and is immediately questioned whether or not she is THEE Alice.  The Alice they are looking for is supposed to do something 'great'.  Alice insists she is Alice, just not that Alice.  There are a few that insist she is that Alice and others that insist she is not that Alice. 

Both these heroines, in both these stories, journey toward finding their true identities.

Precious does not believe she is anything more than what she has been told her whole life: nothing.  For her, it was through education that she begins to discover she was something more.  Alice, in denial that she could be anything more,  chooses to run away from who she was destined to be.  That very choice, leads her right to her very purpose, thus becoming her destiny after all.

How many of us are destined for more?  How many us find it unfathomable that we could be anything more than we are today, or yesterday? Why wouldn't you be destined for greatness? Why are we afraid to become more? Alice wanted something more but was too afraid to find out what that was.  She ran away from the possibilities until she truly had no other choice, thus becoming exactly who she was running away from, afraid of being.  Let go of fear!

Prescious, well, she had no idea she could even be something more.  Others encouraged her.  Others came along side her and helped her to see the truth, she could learn, she was worth teaching.  She was not 'stupid'.  Sometimes God puts other people in our lives that will encourage us to reach our full potential in Christ.  Maybe you are one of those people that encourages others. 

Other times, like Prescious, we have no idea our identity is anything more than what others perceive it to be.  It's can be scary to realize you are not what you thought you were....you are something more.  

What will you do when you realize you are MORE?  When you know WHO you are, WHAT will you DO?