L.Y.F.E. is…

Title: “Getting Back to God”

By: Jeremy McCants

            One of my favorite movies is Forrest Gump. Yes, Forrest Gump. A movie chronicling the life of a gullible, Southern White gentleman who has no real plan for his life but ends up shifting with the seasons, if you will. Forrest Gump, who perhaps may not be as intelligent as most would think but would find himself in some of the most historic moments in American History; yet his true love, Jenny, eludes him. 

            We’ll get back to Jenny later, but one of my favorite lines in the movie is when he says, “Mama told me that life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”  And I think that this line resonates with most, if not all of us, who have been given this gift of life. After all, life is a gift. But sometimes we never know what life is going to throw us or better yet, we never know what God is doing. Just as that box of chocolate, we all come into different situations, scenarios and can become products of our environment; yet are expected to become modeled American citizens.   

Here in Ecclesiastes, we note that the author is wrestling with this thing called life and the many seasons we face in life, both good and seemingly bad. Some seasons of sunshine and some seasons of rain, and yes, even some seasons of life and prosperity but also seasons of loss and lack. Everything has a time to be.

            Why is this the case? Why do we have to take the good with the bad? Such a good question, I’m so glad you asked. Howard Thurman says in his book Jesus and the Disinherited that “Life is alive” and it is always seeking growth. Thurman continues by saying, “when a seed is planted in the soil, if the seed is healthy and the conditions of the soil and climate generally satisfactory, then it sprouts.” 

Even seed need balance. Too much of any one thing can be detrimental to the growth of the seed. Too much sun and no water, will kill the seed has no nourishment. Too much water and no sun will do the same because the seed won’t have any light to reach up to or grow towards. The same goes for the people who are in your life. Too many good people, who are always affirming you but never tell you the truth. Somebody knows what I’m talking about. Or on the other hand, people who are always telling you the hard truth but never gives you the positive affirmation.

            Mama said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. 

And you know one thing struck me when I finally realized Forrest Gump’s life. That as he was going through these seasons and thriving, Forrest but it was the love for and of Jenny that kept from really recognize the accomplishments he was achieving. Why is that? No matter what Forrest was going through, he knew that he had to get back to Jenny. Y’all missed it.

Gump was so focused on getting to Jenny, the love of his life, that regardless of what season he was in, winning or losing, he was still certain about one thing, and that was to get to Jenny.

Now, what if we operated like that, but substituted Jenny for God. That no matter what we may be going through, we know for certain that we must get back to God. This is does not mean that we will not have seasons where we worry, cry or get weary about their situation but our FAITH will overcome that FEAR. The faith that God will make everything all right in the end and that if we cannot get back to God, God will meet us where we are.

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven”