things in life that make us millionaires

the movie experience was __________.

a: terrible

b: boring

c: uneventful

d: inspirational

lori and i had the opportunity to spend some time together out of the house last night (sorry chloe).  on our date night, we used a giftcard to go and enjoy a nice meal at outback.  it was very relaxing, and the service was awesome.  after we finished, we headed over to the theater for the 7:05 pm showing of slumdog millionaire.  i had been wanting to see it for quite a while, and lori agreed that she was intrigued due to the recent awards that the film had won.

i do not want to ruin the film for anyone, so i will be brief in my description.  the story is set in india, where a young man named jamal is attempting to win 20,000,000 rupees on the indian version of "who wants to be a millionaire".  he is a boy that has grown up in the slums his whole life.  as the story progresses, the audience is able to witness much of his childhood.  doing so, we are able to understand how he acquires the knowledge to answer each question.  jamal has chosen to be on the show because he wants to reconnect with his childhood love, latika.  he participates in hopes that she will be watching and will find him.

i expected the film to be well-made, but little did i know that i would be impacted in such a powerful way.  for anyone that has a heart for mission work, it is a "must see" experience.  the sheer size of poverty and corruption was overwhelming.  having visited a few foreign countries (guyana, ghana, honduras, mexico), it was emotional for me to sense the familiarity as i looked into the faces of the children in the slums of mumbai.  i felt so connected to them and yet so distant.

my first lesson was that of guilt.  i do not understand how my life can be so blessed in a material sense while others are barely surviving.  i guess i feel bad for being so ungrateful.  my life is so very blessed, and yet i always seem to find a reason to complain.  i hurt inside for the people that have to search for food in order to make it through the day. 

i personally have never had to go without.  i have never been in need.

i guess that it is a challenge for me to work harder in the effort to help my brothers and sisters.  i know that i could do so much more for them.

the second lesson that i learned dealt with the ability to overcome obstacles.  jamal is such an inspiring little boy.  he has to deal with so much, and yet he never gives up.  he is always moving towards something.  always pushing forward.  i love it that the movie emphasized that anyone can make a difference.  anyone can find joy in the middle of utter chaos and pain.  i guess i could use a little more of his attitude in my life.  some days i can be so pessimistic that it is annoying.  i really should hold on to hope.  after all, i do have a lot to be joyful about.

finally, slumdog millionaire spoke a lot about destiny.  jamal knew in his heart that he was destined to find latika.  he never gave up trying to find her.  i know that God has given us free will and requires that we choose Him, but i also know that He intended for us to be with Him.  my destiny is to be near to my Lord.  there is never a point in my life where He will stop reaching out His hand for me.  my destiny lies in his arms.  i think that image is one of the strongest parallels that i find between the film and my personal life.

i will not overlook the fact that there obviously is quite a bit of violence in the movie and a handful of inappropriate words; however, in my opinion, for an adult viewer the lessons taught from the film are much stronger than the "R" content.

as jamal would probably put it: "money is only temporary.  there are a lot more important things in life that make us millionaires."