I just watched A Star is Born. I have opinions….so many in fact, but I believe I’ll leave that for the critics. I did however need to process some of my feelings and felt lead to share something so dearly personal:
During my reflection, I was drawn to one significant scene. It’s when the two major characters meet for the first time (don’t worry I’m not giving anything away – you see it in the trailer). The specific term for this scene is called a meet-cute; when two major characters have their first encounter, the point where their paths intersect. In the movie, Bradley Cooper’s character is on his way back to his hotel, drunk and out of booze. He instructs his driver to make a right, where he finds a bar. He’s drinking when a voice catches his attention and he’s mesmerized by the singer who is making her way through the crowd. At one point she is right in front of him and she turns to meet his gaze. With tears in his eyes, even under the influence, he soberly knows he can’t live another day without her.
The romantic in me cannot help but gush over this scene. But the still small voice reminds me of my very own meet-cute. The voice reminds me how I am Bradley Cooper in this situation and the day I was mesmerized by the person who made their way through the crowd to lock eyes with me. How I lost my breath, I had tears in my eyes, and I knew I couldn’t live another day without him by my side. Yeah I’m talking about Jesus, my Yeshua.
About 2 years ago, I was driving in my car wrestling with the Lord, pretty unhappy in the season I was in and the Lord stopped and asked me if I remembered our meet-cute? Sure, I remembered the day I decided to follow him; however, he wanted to tell me the story from His point of view.
He began to say: you had heard of me around campus and you were intrigued. You started to hang around people I knew and kept hearing more about who I was. One day I walked into a room and your heart skipped a beat. You were all of a sudden aware of my presence as I found a seat next to yours. The whole meeting went by and towards the end I opened my hand next to yours. Without any words, it was there open for the taking. In that instance you turned your head and you looked at me. With your hand in mine you knew that that was it, that you couldn’t live another day without me. Sure there are days when you may not know I’m here or days you’re angry, but know that I am yours and you are mine. My hand is always open as a reminder to take it and never look back.
Let’s just say I was a wreck. Even as I go to the movies for a cinematic escape from reality, I am still reminded of my own meet-cute and how the Lord meets us and reminds us that he’s there with a hand open wide, asking for us to just come and take it.
