Because we have a serious WWII buff in the family, we finally made time to see “The Darkest Hour”. It’s the story of Winston Churchill’s rise to Prime Minister in the middle of the most turbulent time for Great Britain. In short, he must decide whether or not to go against his advisors, his friends and all the political pressure to stand for what he believes in his heart is the right thing to do.
Never surrender.
In his darkest hour, Winston’s track record of failed strategies and countless lives lost haunts him, threatening to weaken his resolve. In the strongest, most tender moment of the film, Winston’s wife Clemmie, (Kristin Scott Thomas) takes hold of his hands. They are the same hands he’s been wringing in fear and trembling over making a decision that, no matter the outcome, will inevitably cost everything. She leans in, looks deeply into his eyes, and says,
“You are strong because you are imperfect. You are wise because you have doubts. From this uncertainty the wisest words will come.”
In that moment, he’s able to see that the mistakes from his past, all his imperfections, and all his doubts have prepared him exactly for this moment. That without the painful journey, he might make the most foolish decision. It’s precisely because of the painful road he’s traveled that he can conjure the wisdom to choose what is best, despite all the other voices clamoring to take the lead.
You have that same wisdom.
In your most difficult moments, when you remember your imperfections, feel completely inadequate, and doubt you have the wisdom to make the best decision, trust that your wisdom will come. You see the path ahead through the eyes that carry the wisdom of the path behind. You’ve journeyed through things no one else may understand.
You are strong, not in spite of your imperfections, but because of them.
Be encouraged today, as you begin this new year ahead.
You are exactly who you need to be, to do the next right thing.
to more love,
Crystal
Image: The Darkest Hour 4106_D025_00081_R2_CROP Kristin Scott Thomas and Gary Oldman star as Clementine and Winston Churchill in director Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, a Focus Features release. Credit: Jack English / Focus Features
