I think this is my first blog on a movie I have seen which is surprising because I LOVE movies and see lots of great ones. I found out about this movie from a Christian leadership conference I attended. The director, David Yates, spoke at it and even though I did not get to see him I wrote down the name of this movie to watch. The title is The Girl in the Cafe .

The movie has two main characters, Lawrence and Gina, and they are very shy and awkward. The do not fit together at all, but their love story runs throughout the entire movie. For the first half of the film it seems to just be a romantic comedy where the center of the film is the characters and not the plot. Then the two characters travel to the G8 Conference .

From this point on in the movie we begin to be told facts about poverty and AIDS and how many children die each day. And I was shocked and squirmed in my seat and the uncomfortable scene where Gena confronts the Chancellor and then his equal from Germany and even the Prime Minister of England. She has a quiet and polite manner about her but is very determined to share her opinions on the lack of work being done for the poor in our world. She challenges every powerful leader at the G8 to be remembered as the generation that began the fight on poverty instead of being ashamed for doing nothing. I won't tell you how it ended but lets just say I was crying and praying that it was true and not just a movie.

It is amazing how much God has been working on my heart these past few months and softening me to the great need in our world to serve the poor as Jesus did. He has spoken to me through books, people and now as strongly as ever through this movie. I stand firm on my belief that the middle class need Jesus too, but if Christians are not going to stand on behalf of the poor then who is? Matthew 25:31-46 talks about taking care of the hungry, and naked and those in prison and I hope the I am a sheep.

I don't want to walk the easy life and stay comfortable with my job and money and clothes. I want to be seen as a follower of Jesus and help make Christians known not for arguing and picketing, but for serving the poor. I want to use my blessing (and curse) of growing up in the US and being blessed more than I will ever know with financial security, to serve others and not just write a check every month and hope it makes a difference. I don't know how it will look but God does and I am his tool.