I can't remember whether I have ever sat down and watched Forrest Gump all the way through or not, but every once in awhile when it is on TV I'll watch it for a bit. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, you’ve undoubtedly heard the famous line “Run Forrest, Run.” Something struck as I watched the scene where this line is first used. The boy Forrest was spending time with his best friend Jennie. As they walked home, they were confronted by bullies who began throwing rocks at Forrest. Forrest was hit and fell to the ground. As he began to get up Jennie yelled, “Run Forrest, Run!” Forrest, who by the way is a mentally slow child with leg braces, began to feebly mosey his way into an awkward movement which increased in speed with each strange step. As he got faster and faster, the leg braces busted off of his legs and what began as an awkward “waddle” turned in to a full out run.
What would have happened had Forrest not encountered those bullies that day? What would have happened had Jennie not been there to encourage him to run? It seems to me that his enemies were the catalyst to a major blessing in his life, namely walking without braces. Sometimes I get tired of the troubles that come my way. Sometimes I feel like giving up. Many if not most of us if we were in Forrest’s place would have looked at Jennie like she was crazy for telling us to run. “Can’t you see these leg braces?” we would say. But what if, in spite of your circumstances, in spite of your past failures, in spite of what you see…what if you tried again? What if you tried to run again? It’s easy to stay on the ground, but faith gets up, in the midst of flying rocks, leg braces, and discouragement and says, “I will Run.” The worst that could happen is you end up on the ground again, but what if, just what if, this time, the braces come off, and the crutches you’ve been holding on to for years, that have held you back will fly off in the face of your adversaries? Run you weary…Run.
P.S. I’m tired of writing, but I’d love to talk about the importance of having people like Jennie around you to encourage you at the right moments. I’d mention the fact that it was probably Forrest’s low IQ that made him more willing to try to run with such a hindrance on his legs (that what we perceive to be our weaknesses can in fact be blessings in disguise). I would mention that his leg braces, which began as a blessing, became a hindrance and how it is important to understand the seasons of our life and that what once was useful and good can become a hindering crutch stealing our potential right from under our noses. Maybe another time. Cheers!
Check out my other posts.
What would have happened had Forrest not encountered those bullies that day? What would have happened had Jennie not been there to encourage him to run? It seems to me that his enemies were the catalyst to a major blessing in his life, namely walking without braces. Sometimes I get tired of the troubles that come my way. Sometimes I feel like giving up. Many if not most of us if we were in Forrest’s place would have looked at Jennie like she was crazy for telling us to run. “Can’t you see these leg braces?” we would say. But what if, in spite of your circumstances, in spite of your past failures, in spite of what you see…what if you tried again? What if you tried to run again? It’s easy to stay on the ground, but faith gets up, in the midst of flying rocks, leg braces, and discouragement and says, “I will Run.” The worst that could happen is you end up on the ground again, but what if, just what if, this time, the braces come off, and the crutches you’ve been holding on to for years, that have held you back will fly off in the face of your adversaries? Run you weary…Run.
P.S. I’m tired of writing, but I’d love to talk about the importance of having people like Jennie around you to encourage you at the right moments. I’d mention the fact that it was probably Forrest’s low IQ that made him more willing to try to run with such a hindrance on his legs (that what we perceive to be our weaknesses can in fact be blessings in disguise). I would mention that his leg braces, which began as a blessing, became a hindrance and how it is important to understand the seasons of our life and that what once was useful and good can become a hindering crutch stealing our potential right from under our noses. Maybe another time. Cheers!
Check out my other posts.
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