For years my Mom, sister Taylor, and I have been bombarded with people telling us we need to watch Gilmore Girls. They all told us that we were the real-life embodiment of the exuberant mother-daughter pairing Lorelai and Rory. I am happy to report that this hole in our lives has finally been filled!
As we've been watching the show, we just keep asking how on Earth we've gone so long without it? The fast-talking, movie-quoting, obsessive coffee drinking antics mirror our lives exactly. But by far the most endearing quality of the show is the intense bond between Lorelai and her daughter Rory. (Which I also see reflected in my Lady Fam!) The two have a connection that goes beyond mother-daughter or even best friends. They understand each other better than anyone else in the world. And while sometimes Rory has to act like the Mom, their friendship and love for one another never wavers.
Until season 6....
Ah, the dreaded season 6. Now, I'm not a GG veteran (I haven't even finished this season yet), so all you Stars Hallow wanna-be residents who watched it in real time and have read every book on Rory's reading list, please don't get upset with my ignorance of this season. That said, I've hated season 6! (Sans Jess's return 😍)
To condense a lifetime into a paragraph and catch you up: the sweet, innocent bookworm and Yale student Rory makes some unwise choices with a newfound beau that land her in jail for a night, and then an internship gone wrong convinces her to quit Yale and move in with her grandparents.
All of this together with Lorelai's extreme hatred of her parents and concern for Rory land the two in an icy no-talking zone for several weeks. I'm. Dying.
During this freeze out, Rory's grandfather becomes upset that she is not changing her mind about returning to school. So he approaches Lorelai about forming a plan to bribe Rory to go back.
Even in her frustration and hurt, Lorelai says something profound to her father that jumped out of the show at me.
"Rory has to get herself back there. When Rory wants help she will ask for it, and the minute she does I will fly in faster than the Gulf Stream I'm sure you're going to offer to buy her..."
This jumped out at me for 2 reasons. One, it reminded me of my own Mom and her love for me that would surpass any fight. But it also made me think of my Heavenly Father.
As I talked about in my last blog, I've felt far from God for a few years now. But WOW is Lorelai an example of how God's saving grace works! I am experiencing it now. For a long time I asked "What is my part in receiving grace? What do I have to do? How much does God do? Why haven't I felt it yet? I want it, but I don't feel it."
I realized, it's not enough to just want it.
Rory wanted to be close with her mother again, but she had to reach out and re-invest in that relationship for it to work. Lorelai was ready and waiting with her arms open when Rory decided she wanted to accept Lorelai's forgiveness, but she had to choose it.
In the same way, God is not standing with His arms folded waiting for you to fix yourself before you approach Him. Like Lorelai, He wants you want Him and He will not bribe you or force you. But, the minute we take that step, He flies in.
When we take one step in God's direction, He runs in our's. I love Lorelai's analogy of the Gulf Stream as it is a powerful and swift current. God's love and grace is not a gentle pond He wants you to dip your toes into, it is a strong force of nature that will charge in with love.
I was like Rory, desperately wanting to go back to the relationship I loved and felt so comfortable in, yet I let my fears and insecurities keep me away. But when I finally asked for help and took a step towards God, He came rushing in to heal me with a cup of coffee from Luke's. And just like Rory and Lorelai, I know we are going to be just fine.
Until next time,
Gabby