Last night, I saw The Wedding Plan, an Israeli film about a religious woman, Michal, whose fiancé breaks up with her shortly before their wedding. Michal decides to maintain the reservation of the wedding hall and attends her gown fittings, trusting that G-d will present her with a groom by her wedding day, just a couple of weeks away. The film follows her anguished and humorous journey to the chuppah (the matrimonial canopy).
I left the theatre feeling full; like my heart had eaten one of the tastiest meals it’s had in a while. Romantic love appeared to be Michal’s co-star in the first few scenes, but it really was more of a supporting role. It was about a bigger love; it was a love letter to the self, and what happens when we open our eyes, get out of our heads and our constructs of how we think things should be, and allow ourselves to become vulnerable enough to receive.
Love surrounds us at all times, asking to love us. There are even strangers, who we may ignore and dismiss, who see us clearly and want to give us what we are praying for.
To pray, we have to feel it first; it starts in here, sensing that the object of our prayer already exists and we’re merely inviting it in to our consciousness, to our reality. However, most of the time we can’t see it, because, our eyes are pinched shut and we’re blinded by desperation.
The answer to every prayer is in us; it is our devotion to our faith and belief in our own worthiness. Then, if we’re courageous enough, we open our eyes, look directly into the moment and greet the answer to our prayers.