The Hiding Place had a big impact when I saw it even though I am not a Christian but because it demonstrated a true example of grace and faith.
I love to watch movies but can't say many have changed my life. I do have one really weird thing regarding an epiphany I had watching the stupidest movie ever. I don't know the name of it but it had George Straight (I think) in it and it was one of those formulatic boy meets girl kinda movies.
I worked 12 hour shifts at the time and when I got home at around 6:30 am, nothing was ever on TV, I was tired but couldn't just fall asleep, so I would watch some TV to just zone out for awhile. I usually watched infomercials. However, this one morning I turned it on the TV and this George Straight movie was on--I was too lazy to change the channel.
The basic plot was that he was a country singer (go figure) and he fell in love. His manager, a woman, sabotaged his relationship. Then, she comes clean about lying about whatever broke him up with his woman and is crying and carrying on. The guy looks at her and says I forgive you. The manager lady is all amazed and is like why would you do that, I broke you up, you could have lost her forever. The guys says something along the lines that he is always amazed that we will forgive perfect strangers for the things they do to us but will hold the people we love to a much higher, almost unatainable standard. (paraphrasing)
My epiphany was that I was guilty of doing just that--of being much harder and less compassionate with the people I loved then I was of strangers or people I just barely knew. I realized that I needed to be better at demonstrating my love without judgements because it was poisoning the relationships I held dear.
I was just amazed that I had found such a kernel of truth to apply to my own life from such a stupid movie. Natives believe that life teaches you lessons everywhere and it is you who are blind to them until you are ready to see. While things are not secret, many times it is not for you to give the answers you have found until someone knows to ask the question because it shows they are ready to learn.
