Champagne Problems, Anyone?

[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD…]

As in the spirit of the season, Netflix’s “Champagne Problems” is a holiday romance where a driven corporate woman (again) on a mission to advance her career by “saving” a struggling family business (again) from a French widower with a dreamy son (again… only the nationality is different). 

Sydney Price (Minka Kelly) flies to Paris as her company’s representative to convince Hugo Cassell, owner of a champagne company saddled in debt, to sell their business to them.
 
She runs into a charming Frenchman and thoroughly enjoys her first day in Paris with him.
The next morning, in a business meeting with Hugo and other prospective buyers, she finds out that the charming Frenchman was his son, Henri.

This complicated matters, but Sydney was determined to do what she came for. Hugo, wanting to find the best buyer for his business, sets up a few competitive events for Sydney and the other buyers.

Eventually, the strain of misunderstandings takes a toll on Sydney and Henri’s newfound connection, and she abruptly decides to fly back home.

On her way back, Sydney enumerates all that went wrong with her life on her trip to Paris. She quickly goes on to dismiss them as champagne problems– those difficulties we encounter that are seemingly trivial in light of more serious troubles. For example, being stuck in your car in traffic and arriving late to an important meeting, as opposed to bigger problems such as poverty.

Magnifying seemingly small problems is not beneficial, but it does not mean that they should be ignored entirely. After all, our problems are as unique as our paths in life and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. Also, not dealing with tiny issues now can potentially lead to these becoming bigger problems in the future.

Speaking of the future, it is normal to be concerned, especially when things are not going well, or according to our plan.

However, the Bible has something to say about that, which can give us hope.

Matthew 6 Do Not Be Anxious (English Standard Version)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” 

This reminds us that no problem is too big or too small for God. He is big enough to heal serious ailments, restore broken relationships, resurrect dead dreams, as surely as He provides food for birds who do not work or toil. They just exist, and God gives them food.

What are you concerned about today?

Rather than belittling, glossing over, or magnifying our champagne (or bigger) problems, cast them to the God who cares for you.