Watching Movies Is Good for You…Sometimes

Posted by Barbara | 0 comments

My incredible husband and I have been watching the HBO series “Band of Brothers” lately. There are a few benefits to this activity. First, I get to snuggle with him for a whole hour while watching the DVD. Second, I get to imagine my husband being Lt. Speers running like crazy, somehow dazzling the Germans into inactivity, and saving the entire mission by just being that brave. My Chris could absolutely be that guy. He is amazing.

So that’s good enough right? Some snuggles and an even more so elevated view of my husband’s excellence.

Now before I go on, I have heard a shocked reply from one of our guy friends at church about all this: “What? Barbara watches war movies?  Incredible. But does she actually like them or does she just tolerate them?”

I truthfully really do like them. Once upon a time I was a history major (a really bad one, mind you) and I do find all these war movies fairly fascinating. There are so many amazing stories to learn from. And so many character traits to be inspired by and to try to emulate.

And that is the biggest thing I am learning from watching “Band of Brothers.” How, you might wonder, does a housewife get inspired to improve in her duties at home by watching a war movie? I’m so glad you asked….

Numerous times in the story the men are hunkered down along the side of a ditch or in the relative safety of their fox holes. Somebody who is taking charge for the moment does some little hand motions and next thing you know all the men are up and running full tilt. There is no hesitation. There is no second guessing. There is no waiting or counting the cost. All of that evaluation has been done before they ever enlisted. They are there, in position, knowing what is required and what needs to be done. And they know that if they don’t get up off their behinds and run *right now*, the mission will fail, their friends will die, and they will live with the shame of inactivity the rest of their lives.

So now, imagine me, the happy housewife, sitting on my bed with my laptop on my legs, happily typing this post, or happily reading yours. I see the mission ahead of me. I have counted the cost of having children and staying home with them and choosing to homeschool. I see the task at hand; the dishes in the sink, the pot of soup to make, and the applesauce to puree. And yet, here I sit; inactive; wishing there was another way of getting it all done; looking for the magic wand to wave and fix it for me; giving orders to my kids hoping that they have more ‘get up and go’ than I do.

What I need is that drive that says “now is the time to move. So go. GO, GO, GO!!” What I need is the focus that I am fighting a battle here, not only against my own flesh, but also a battle for my children’s hearts. My inactivity could be just the thing the enemy uses as the foot hold and the opportunity to weaken them and their faith.

Lord, grant me the courage and the focus to just get up and do the very obvious things you are showing me to do. I want to not have to convince myself to get up and do the next thing. Give me feet that move and hands that serve quickly, willingly, consistently.

Right now I am holding the line. Things are okay. I’m not retreating. But I’m not advancing either. Lord, grant me the faith and the character and the desire to conquer the next hill.

Barbara Postma and her husband, as they homeschool their 7 children, are finding out that no two children are alike! Between lessons and lunches, Barbara blogs at Fuel by Barbara.