“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” – Forrest Gump’s Mama

You know, I’ve never really stopped to analyze it before, but this was the perfect… lesson (I guess?) from the movie. I remember watching it as a kid… its biographical style (most similar movies seem to be biographies of real people) which was so etimes slow and other times meloncholy was somewhat boring to me. I heven’t watched the movie recently (I haven’t watched a movie in 8 years), but thinking back on it I am actually rather impressed with how it was made.

The film was like real life, sometimes boring, sometimes slow, somtimes wandering, other times meeting old friends; it shows uls and downs and… it perfectly exemplified this phrase, which may be the film’s overall lesson: ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never kniw what you’re going to get.’

As in Forrest Gump it was sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes frustrating.

I’m not really recommending the movie, nor did I mean to review it, but I think that a lot of people right now, just like Forrest: here we are suddenly drafted into the military, and this movie which has been about a small town southern boy is now a movie about the Vietnam war – which was a reality of life for many of that generation. Couldn’t have been predicted when they were born. Yet then after that what happens? For the surviving veterans, for Forrest Gump, life goes on. But it has to go on without his best friend… the one who actually had a vision for the future.

One of the last movies I watched before I gave uo TV was ‘The Hurt Locker.’ I don’t know if you’ve seen it (and, again, I’m not recommending or meaning to review any movie) but it’s about a guy on the bomb squad in the military fighting (I think in Iraq? mMaybe it was Afganistan, I don’t remember). But basically it’s a movie about a guy who finds out in the war that he’s an addrenaline addict (my takeaway) and is always doing more and more dangerous stuff. There’s a scene later in the film where he’s sent back to the states and is standing in the grocery store trying to decide what kind of breakfast cereal to get. I was like: “Wow!” They just nailed it: that stark contrast between real life: life and death situatons vs. the mundanity of day to day living. How could this guy so used to danger go back to that? Of course he back to the combat zone (or tries to… it’s been at least 8 years, I don’t exactly remember – that scene was the one in the movie hat really spoke to me). How could he not? Besides the addrenaline adiction, there was a sense of purpose in combat… how could he come back to a life where he had to go to the grocery store and decide whether he wanted Frosted Flakes, or Golden Grahams? Who cares?

Our generation… similarly to prior generations has its own unexpected events. Who would have predicted the global phenomena of COVID ten years ago? Now not only has a global pandemic been taking place, but the rammifications of it: people are against eachother, the global economy has tanked ((Rev. 6:6) someone will come out on top, and already is… watch who it is.)… I’m not going to list many others but, you know: ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’

The future is uncertain. I sometimes find myself in strange nostalgia, perhaps because my life hasn’t gone as I’ve wanted it to. We can’t really plan it out, it’s like Forrest Gump (and the whole generation he was modelled after): one minute you’re a school athlete football star, the next minute you’re crawling through holes in the ground in jungle on the other side of the world trying not to get blown up… and then you’re playing in the global ping-pong championship… you just never know. (Well done, on the film, guys.)

In the middle of everything in this life, legitimately the one thing that I can find comfort in, the one thing that remains stable and never changes, the laml to my feet and the light to my path is God’s Word. All things thwat can be shaken will be removed, but the Word of God abides forever. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but His Word will never pass away.

We may be alone, we may be in dire circumstances, or happy ones, we may be up or down, but God has spoken to us, has given to us His oracles; in these last days He has spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:2).

I don’t really care if it seems cliche’ to say that, ine of things that has been shaken (at least for me) is a lot of the ‘church world’ I grew up with: false doctrines, wring theologies, certain political and social focuses based on those things. There is a lot of fairly shallow in evangelical Christianity on the basis of… well, trying be evangelical I think. But God’s word stands forever; let the shakeable be shaken, ignore the false prophets, and heed the Spirit of God.

In the midst of circumstances – thise unknown, and unknowable events in our lives, we who have Christ can walk with Him through them. We may lose our best friend, brother sister mother or father to death, or falling away, but Christ will never leave us nor forsake us. ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20)

For of my regular readers: I haven’t been having the time to write much recently – one of those, just life things, I guess – but will keep on it generally, still praying: ‘How can they preach, except they be sent?’ (Rom. 10:15a)

For those who do not know Christ: what I said here is True, not just for me, but as many as put faith in Christ will find Him to be a solid, unchanging rock even in uncertain times. A hope that you can rely on.

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.