The Magic of Belle Isle

I believe there is gold in the heart of every man. It emerges with drops of love just as water awakens the life within a seed--no matter how hard its shell or how dark the soil in which it lies. When it flowers, there is a beauty the world has never seen, because every flower is uniquely glorious. – Faithwalker

I just watched a story on netflix about a famous old writer played by Morgan Freeman who spends the summer dog-sitting in a lake house next door to a divorcee with three daughters. This description may sound bland and boring, but the author's mysterious dark past and the slow development of relationships holds your interest. 

Monte Wildhorne is wheelchair-bound, agitated and unhappy, emptying whiskey bottles in every early scene. His sorrow and brokenness stem not so much from his crippling accident at the peak of a promising career, but from losing the one great love of his life. Yet, we also come to know the eloquent character familiar with Bach, who quotes fine literature and exemplifies rare class and unexpected charm. He is an endearing character despite the rough edges.

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”   I Samuel 16:7

The Magic of Belle Isle is a touching story with messages about the absolute joy of unexpected surprises, healing, relationships, and the value of life—despite what it may seem on the outside. As the old man begins to mentor nine-year old Finnegan, one of the notable themes is “never stop looking for what's not there.” Use your imagination, keep your creativity and your dreams alive. 

Meanwhile, the nine-year old gathers logs for a raft to paddle to the island, and eventually the daughters discover an old lunch box that belonged to their own mother buried amidst the roots of a tree. Inside, they unearth her diary about her own parents’ divorce and the pain she felt. Predictable, but nonetheless touching, the eldest estranged daughter reads the diary and makes the discovery, “Reading your pain actually made me feel better…Is that wrong?”

And the healing begins. 

There's a young fatherless man named Carl who hops  around playing chicken until Morgan begins to pay a little attention to him, and he transforms from a socially retarded loner into Diego the cowboy hero--like the subject of Morgan's westerns. 

These common threads revolve around the things we all feel at one point or another. We totter between hurt and joy, between the valleys and the peaks of our various struggles… while we are in the process of becoming whole. We may uncover the most essential elements of wisdom and understanding right at the base of our family tree, if we take the time to look and listen to the story. 

We may be tempted to give up, but spirits rejoice when a conquering spirit of fortitude resurrects. And so, the old man is rekindled by his neighbors. He returns to the unused black typewriter--a classy old picture of himself--and the keys chew happily into the paper after many a silent year. 

With one hand he plucks out new stories to everyone's delight and discovers that the well of imagination hasn't run dry. It's not about the money. It's about the love of the story, pursuing your passion, using your God-given gifts. It's about the things money can't buy. 

The dreamer, the writer, the down and brokenhearted, or anyone with a burning vision in their breast will find inspiration in The Magic of Belle Isle.

"Never stop looking for what's not there."  

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:18