I really enjoy the movie/musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It is fun and colourful and full of life, but there is so much we can learn from the main female character Milly.
If you have never seen the movie go here for full details, this link will tell you all the back ground.
Milly the main female character meets Adam, a typical boy meets girl type of scenario except that these two are older and I am sure it was love at first sight, especially for Milly, and they marry the same day.
Unfortunately the marriage doesn’t start out with a basis of truth. Adam doesn’t tell Milly about his 6 grown brothers or the fact that they all live in the same house. Milly waxes on about how wonderful it will be to only cook for 1 man (after serving at the local tavern) and how much she was going to do and grow – basically on the long journey home she shared all her heart and visions for their marriage.
Adam on the other hand sits there and doesn’t really say anything, nothing to give away what she was about to walk into.
When they arrive Milly is confronted with 6 rather grubby backswoodsmen who might as well have lived in the pig pen for all they cared for their home. They basically demand some food and then eat it like they were animals. Milly has had about enough and overturns the tables and goes to their room.
I am sure as she grasps her Bible she is wondering about what she has gotten herself into and how God could help her. Adam arrives and was going to sleep in a tree (outside their window) to save face but she eventually invites him in and their marriage commences.
Now I am not saying all of the above to down men – my point is what can we as women, wives and mothers learn from Milly.
She was tough, physically and spiritually, but she was all woman. She loved Adam from the start and decided that she would make it work. She didn’t pack her bags and head back to town, she toughed it out. She trained her 6 new brothers to be men and then gentlemen and taught them manners and how to behave.
She didn’t, that I saw work on her husband, she just loved him and cared for him as a wife should.
She stuck with it even when, at the barn raising, there was a big fight, which Adam is all into but the brothers hang back for Milly’s sake.
When the boys fall in love and Adam and them go and steal 6 young women from town, Milly takes in the girls and loves them and sends Adam and the boys to the barn.
To make a long story a little bit shorter, the 6 brothers and the 6 girls fall in love, Milly has a baby and Adam has taken off to the hunters shack.
When Adam learns of his daughters birth he returns to say goodbye, but just seeing his baby girl makes him realise how much he loves Milly and Hannah and how much he needs them.
Milly must have prayed hard that winter for Adam that he would see the errors of his ways and come home. Maybe she even almost gave up hope, but her prayers were answered and her marriage becomes one of love, trust and security.
So what can we learn from Milly???
Even in the best of relationships issues will arise that give us heart ache, so instead of packing our bags and heading for the nearest bus station, let’s be like Milly and stick with it.
Let’s stick with it and pray for God to change our situation, but to change it only to glorify Him.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
We adore that movie! The music is awesome. Just ran across the Sabeans in Job this week! You know, they were sobbin’ sobbin’ sobbin’….
Blessings from Missouri America!
Laura
Thank you Laura, you made me laugh, what a great way to start a Monday. May need to pop over to Job and have a look. Thank you for your encouraging comments. Blessings
Oh, wow, this sounds like a wonderful movie. I will have to try to find it! Thanks for the recommendation and for the wisdom you share here. You are such a blessing!
Thanks Cheryl, I must admit I like these musicals this one and Annie Get your Gun and Calamity Jane, they are such fun. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings
You know Millie is a good example of sticking with it. So often we forget that in order to get what we want it takes some just sticking with it even though it isn’t exactly what we thought it would be.
Exactly Heidi, thanks for sharing those thoughts with us and for stopping by. Blessings
We love this movie too! It is hard to find but I noticed some external links at the bottom of the Wikipedia article. Thanks! And you’re right, sticking to something long enough is hard to do. By God’s grace we’ve been married 18 years and not without an awful lot of trials. It’s the never give up attitude about once you’re married, you stay that way no matter what. If I didn’t have faith in God and His word I would not be married today. He gets complete glory for keeping us together, without a doubt. Thanks for sharing, it is a great movie and holds great lessons for us.
Sounds like we are the same Jeannie but we have been married for 26 years and we have definitely hit some rough patches. Thank God that He helped us stay together and we definitely had a no go on divorce. I am glad that we are where we are now because we are more in love with each other now and it is wonderful and you are right it is all due to God’s amazing grace. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings
7 Brides for 7 brothers… ah one of my family’s favorites! Milly certainly was amazing. I love how she just jumped in and got to work… yet she wouldn’t put up with just anything (like when she pushed the table over when her brother-in-laws were eating like hogs.) 🙂
You are so right Aspen, thanks for your comment and for stopping by. It is one of our favourites along with Calamity Jane and Annie Get Your Gun. There is so many lessons around us to learn. Blessings
This is one of the best musicals ever made! Milly was definitely a Godly woman but I had never taken the time to draw the parallels to my life. Thanks for pointing them out!
Thanks Heaven for stopping by and sharing, blessings to you.
Great post! “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” has always been one of my favorite movies. I usually watch it once a year. : ) Milly was a wonderful example; she was sweet and determined. Howard Keel and Jane Powell had such beautiful voices!
You are so right Sarah, Milly was a wonderful example and the singing and songs just excellent, blessings
Terri,
I’ve never seen the movie, but you certainly whet my appetite to do so! We’re always looking for movies with good messages (and not full of all the stuff producers today seem to think are required to make people buy tickets!), Thanks for a great reminder to stick with it when things are tough. And thanks for linking up at Mondays @ Soul Survival.
Blessings,
Donna
Oh Donna, I hope you get a chance to see it, it is a great musical, very lively, not all the motives in the movie are good but there are definitely some good lessons. Thanks for stopping by and thank you for the link up. Blessings
I’ve never seen the movie, but it sounds like a fun one. Thanks for sharing this lesson–to stick with things is a critical aspect of our growth. Having grit can make all the difference sometimes!
Thanks Lisa for your comment and I like that “grit”. Having grit is definitely helpful in toughing things out, along with a trust in God. Blessings
My daughter and I just watched this movie again a few days ago! It’s one of our favorites.
Loved your insights. : )
Thanks Cathy for your comment and for stopping by. Glad you enjoy the movie too. Blessings
I’ve always enjoyed this movie and admired Milly. You’re right that she never tried to change her husband just her in-laws. And you’re also right that that’s exactly how she should have handled her husband – just pray and wait and love. I enjoyed your take on this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Jennifer for your kind and encouraging words, it is so important to – just pray and wait and love. Sometimes this is all we can do. Blessings
Sounds like a wonderful movie, and I’ve never seen it. I will try to get it to watch with our family! I always love a movie with a Godly message!
I hope you can find it and then enjoy it, it is one of our favourites. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings
I have never seen the movie but now I want to. Thank you for your inspiring words today.
Thanks for your kind comment Jenny, when you see the movie let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by, blessings
Steadfastness is one of those under rated virtues in marriage and in life!
You are so right Helene and it is so important. Thanks for stopping by, blessings.
My family and I love this movie! Although it is filled with sexism (and I am NOT a feminist), it is so extreme that it is laughable. It is true that Milly always made the best of her situation, and never gave up hope that things could be redeemed. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Kamea
You are right Kamea, but it is still a great easy watching movie. Thank you for stopping by and sharing and I hope you have a great week. Blessings
LOVE this movie. Was my favorite for a long time when I was younger! <3 Funny I should find this post as just last weekend my sisters and I introduced a new friend of mine to this film lol Yes- we can learn a lot from Milly. Strong, beautiful (fictional 😉 ) woman! 🙂
You are right Katie it is a great movie and yes Milly is fictional, but there is so much we can learn. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Blessings
Thanks for sharing about the movie. I have never sat down to watch it in full……
I guess there are lovely lessons from it!
Enjoy your weekend Terri.
Many Blessings to you.
Thanks Ifeoma for stopping by and for your comment. Have a great weekend too. Blessings
Thanks for the lead on a good movie! Always looking for something fun and found it today on Blessing Counters!
It is a fun movie Michele and I enjoy watching it (might do so tonight). Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Have a great weekend. Blessings
That brought back memories–I saw that back in grade school, had completely forgotten about it until now. I have to admit, I wouldn’t have been so kind and gentle as her. More like stomping, spitting, hissing, and then get down to business after acting like a rattle snake for a few minutes. I got a lot to learn!
Hey there, it is so good to hear from you. I am glad that I brought back memories, and I agree I probably wouldn’t have behaved the way Milly did either, I think we probably both have a lot to learn. Blessings
I’ve never seen the movie, but next time I see it I will grab it! Good analogies!
Thanks Lizzy, I hope you enjoy it. Blessings