My life, and yours as well, are full of history. Some of us have shorter histories, some longer. For some, our history might be filled with rich experiences, joy, and delight. For others, their history might be filled with suffering, hardships and difficulties (some might call it baggage). Nonetheless, each person is made in the image of their Creator, completely beautiful. Sometimes we let the past dictate how we see the present. In fact, many people are caught up in unforgiveness, like I was, of what happened in the past -- to the point that it becomes difficult to live in the present.
In much the same way, this short motivational video helps us experience a refreshingly beautiful cultural side of South Africa. Yes, South Africa has a rich history of wealth, poverty, justice and injustice, progress and retrogression. And yet, this spot focuses on the beauty of South America with the power of a two edged sword! The husband featured has a unique disability. He 'sees' not through his eyes, but through his senses. For example, he touches salty ocean waters with his hands, he listens to the wind from the deck of a sail boat, he feels the warmth of the sun on his skin in the early morning as he walks through vineyards, and he tastes rich drinks while enjoying dinner with friends. He is experiencing, in a fresh new way, things that perhaps he has never experienced before.
The beauty of South Africa, and the perception of that ‘world’, is more than skin deep. Obviously, being blind makes it easier to not be critical of the color of our skin, but those of us who have sight can intentionally become color blind, letting go of the past that may have limited our ability to move forward. This motivational video is so beautiful because it shows two couples, one black and one white, together, experiencing beauty in so many ways.
We can dwell on the difficulties of the past, or even let unforgiveness or anger of what others have done to us, or what we have done to others, dominate our thinking. Our Creator can help us with that, and programs like Celebrate Recovery are richly equipped to assist; it’s helped me in so many ways. But when we begin forgiving people in our past, our senses are let loose and we begin to see things differently. Suddenly, touch, taste, feeling, hearing and vision bring new experiences with new meaning. This motivational video is such a great visual reminder of how we can let go of our past, and see things with different eyes, so to speak.
If you are looking to tell a beautiful story about your organization, contact me directly.