Ralphie and Christmas Presents
In A Christmas Story (1984) we meet Ralphie, a boy who wants just one thing for Christmas… a gun. Sounds bad, but it really is a nostalgic little movie about nothing really. Come Christmas day, Ralph gets a ton of presents. We don’t even see most of what he gets, just a pink bunny suit from an aunt that he hates, and the gun he has wanted all year. For weeks he has been hinting at his wish, but everyone tells him the same thing… “You’ll shoot your eye out!” As soon as he gets his new gun he promptly takes it outside to try it out, and nearly shoots his eye out!
This movie does not really have a deep message or meaning, but it does have a lot to say about the things we receive in life. We are so blessed in life that most of the blessings go overlooked or are quickly forgotten. Often, we get stuff we don’t want and don’t need, and quite frankly could do without… that is a part of life too.
Then there are the things we ask for… pray for. Sometimes it is stuff we need and are ready to have. God says yes and we are blessed with “answered prayer.” Sometimes God says no because He knows we don’t need something or couldn’t handle it if we did have it. Then there may be times when God gives us things we don’t need and that may just teach us a valuable lesson.
Then too, just as in the movie, God allows bad things to come into our lives… like a pack of rowdy dogs that come to steal our turkey. Tragedy does come into our lives. We do not always see why, but we can rest in the promise that everything God allows into our lives will be turned into good. Even when we never see how it works out.
This movie does not really have a deep message or meaning, but it does have a lot to say about the things we receive in life. We are so blessed in life that most of the blessings go overlooked or are quickly forgotten. Often, we get stuff we don’t want and don’t need, and quite frankly could do without… that is a part of life too.
Then there are the things we ask for… pray for. Sometimes it is stuff we need and are ready to have. God says yes and we are blessed with “answered prayer.” Sometimes God says no because He knows we don’t need something or couldn’t handle it if we did have it. Then there may be times when God gives us things we don’t need and that may just teach us a valuable lesson.
Then too, just as in the movie, God allows bad things to come into our lives… like a pack of rowdy dogs that come to steal our turkey. Tragedy does come into our lives. We do not always see why, but we can rest in the promise that everything God allows into our lives will be turned into good. Even when we never see how it works out.
This is one of my all time favorite movies. I think it's an interesting study on perspective. The movie is very funny because it's seen through the eyes of 9 year old Ralphie, and he isn't exactly in touch with reality. That's why the moments when Ralphie's nostalgic world meets his parents reality, like Christmas morning when he gets his wish, or the brief romantic scene where the parents are enjoying the Christmas snow, a glass of wine and a snuggle, just the two of them, are so touching. And it gives an insiders' perspective on childhood - why a bully can be so terrifying, or a dare to do something stupid so irresistable. It may be a movie about nothing in particular, but it's sweet and is certainly standing the test of time. I watch it several times every year and still laugh everytime.
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