Madea and Time Out

Madea and Time Out

On July 18 my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. It was twenty years ago that we married. I remember that after the wedding festivities, we walked around our new neighborhood and saw a movie. To celebrate, we saw one on our anniversary.

Well now we live in North Carolina, so we drove to Raleigh. However, we found a quaint area and enjoyed a Madea movie.

At first I started to back away and see Spiderman. But my husband is a big Tyler Perry fan and even though he’d let me, I chose Madea’s Witness Protection Program.

It was so good! My husband usually has great movie pics.

I won’t give you a play-by-play, however, me with my analytical mind, it had me thinking.

The father in the movie is the CFO over a Ponzie scheme, unbeknownst to him. He was hand picked to take the fall for the scheme. And when the time came he was left holding the bag.

Problem, while the father is working all those years making a seven figure salary, he was missing out on so much – his family. His son wants to spend time with him, but…he’s too busy. His daughter is full of anger because she’s living with her father and his new wife. The father can’t help ‘cause he’s too busy. The wife is doing her best to hold it down, while also caring for her husband’s senile and hilarious mother. I’m a big fan of Doris Roberts who plays the mother.

Well, well, well…The family is forced to take a time-out when the Ponzie scheme hits the fan. Why? Because the mafia is after them. And guess where they go? That’s right, to Madea’s home and she is charged with protecting the family. Y’all know Madea is packing! But also, if anyone can make a family take a time-out, to reevaluate and restore unity and strength, it’s Madea. And of course she does it in the most humorous, belly-aching way.

Later that evening I recapped the movie’s theme in my mind.  What will it take for a power-driven man to see he is failing as a father? As a result, he is losing his children and intimacy with his spouse. For some a thrust into time-out may help. That can very well be a blessing, as it was in the movie. In time-out, ask the question, what is it costing me to gain the whole world, and lose all, including my family and my soul?

If that’s you, trapped in a work-driven, family failing cycle, ask your heavenly Father for a time-out. His loving grace will help you repair. Don’t wait as I’ve once heard Chris Rock say, until your daughter is somewhere swinging on a pole. Rock says, Fathers, if that’s your daughter, you’ve messed up! Don’t let that be you!

Thank you Madea and Chris Rock for such great family lessons.

Grace and Peace

Brook Lynn Dorcent

Author

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