Sleepless in Seattle

Last Saturday night, I decided to tune into the movie, Sleepless in Seattle, the 1993 classic love story. It seemed like a “safe” movie that hopefully would pass my “G” rating preference in movies.

However, very soon into the story I was upset over the story line. The setting is: Tom Hanks (Sam) loses his wife to cancer and he is now a single dad trying to move on with his life with his son Jonah. In this particular scene, Jonah asks his dad what happens to people after they die, and Sam says he doesn’t know. He said he has dreamed about talking to his wife, which makes him think, perhaps there is some afterlife, but then he brushes that off and again says he just doesn’t know. The two look at each other with a look of loss and confusion, end of the scene.

I am thinking this is the worst tragedy of the whole movie and it brings me back to a statement I hear so often in the Christian community when people face trials in their lives, “How do people who don’t know God, deal with these things?” I cannot imagine waking up and thinking that there is nothing but what is in front of me every day and when I die, that’s it, the story is over. How depressing is that thought? I know the truth and I know my family and friends that have gone before me are watching over me right now and I will see them again, when God calls me home. Best of all is to meet Jesus face to face and enter the eternal kingdom that he has ready for each one of us who believe.

I remember watching this movie when it first came out and enjoying it and not noticing all of its secular messages of atheism and the worldly accepted immorality of sex outside of marriage. That was back in the days when I was wrapped up in reading secular novels, watching prime time TV shows, and watching the latest movie. I was all wrapped up in a world that did not have a place for God, except on Sundays to attend mass. After mass, I went right back to my secular life. Things have changed for me since then and I gave up the secular novels and movies and focus on reading God’s Word. The veil of the secular world is being lifted from my sight and I am beginning to see the world for what it really is. It’s quite painful to see how blind I was, and it is necessary every day, to keep turning to God for the truth and the path to eternal life.

The world we live in is difficult at best for many and for those of us that are blessed with all of the earthy comforts of the developed world; we still suffer in many ways due to our fragile human nature. I like to keep in mind that we are exiles of this world and until we reach the eternal kingdom of heaven, we will suffer through many trials, some brought on by our own sinfulness, and some brought on by the sinfulness of others. We know the end of the story and we just have to persevere and pray every day for God’s love, mercy and forgiveness.