Freedom Writers is based on a true story about a teacher, Erin Gruwell, who loved her students enough to do whatever it took to help them change their lives.
Now, the idea of someone helping their students is not overly remarkable in itself. I had some wonderful teachers in school who genuinely wanted to help their students succeed. What is remarkable about Erin Gruwell though is the lengths to which she was prepared to go in order to achieve her goals.
If the film is accurate, she took two extra, part-time jobs to generate enough income to finance the programs she wanted to implement with the students.
Yes, you read that right. She worked full time as a teacher and then worked TWO other jobs to pay for the classroom supplies she needed.
As the movie ended and the tears ran freely down my face (I won’t spoil the movie by saying why I was crying), I took the time to ruminate on the thought that had been tugging at my heart all the way through the movie:Ā Victory so often requires sacrifice.
Erin Gruwell sacrificed her time, her money and (according to the movie) sadly she even had to sacrifice her marriage to achieve what most of us would have thought was impossible. If she had not been willing to make that sacrifice then you can be almost certain that the kids she was teaching would have continued in the downward spiral that their lives were taking.
If you look at many of the greatest things that have ever been done, huge sacrifice was required.
- How many wars have ever been one without at least one person making a great sacrifice?
- How many great inventions have come about without someone sacrificing their leisure time, relationships and ‘normal’ life at least for a while?
- How many big businesses have ever been built without great personal sacrifice by the founders?
- How many sportsmen and women reach the top of their sport without huge personal sacrifice along the way?
… the list goes on.
Our very salvation came through a mind-blowing sacrifice.
I Don’t Have The Guts
Most of the time, I live with the feeling that I’m meant for more than this. I truly believe that I’m living a pale shadow of the life I was made to live – and most of you are the same.
I am convinced that we were all made for greatness. Maybe not greatness in the form of worldwide fame but definitely greatness in the sphere of existence into which God has placed us.
Most of us never achieve that greatness though because we’re not prepared to make the sacrifice required for it.
I am well aware of that in my own life. I know that I hold back because I’m afraid of what the sacrifice will mean in terms of our living situation, my relationships with my wife and kids my ‘free time’ and so many other things.
I live in a state of constant tension between the part of me that wants to break free and live and the part of me that wants to stay comfortable and ‘safe’.
I basically don’t have the guts.
Do you?
I encourage you to watch Freedom Writers and then take the time to analyse your own life and ask these questions:
- “Am I being all I can be?”
- “Am I obeying God’s call on my life?”
- “Am I running away like Jonah because I’m afraid of the potential personal sacrifice?”
- “Do I have the guts to overcome my fears, take God’s hand and go wherever he wants to lead me?”
Do you have the guts?
Wow, powerful post, Pete.
Really important questions, too about relationships with family. A lot of people who sacrifice their families do it, not out of courage, but out of stupidity and thoughtlessness. I'll have to watch the movie to find out whether this teacher did it deliberately or carelessly, but I think its something Christians in particular have to be incredibly careful about.
Some interesting linked thoughts will appear on my blog tomorrow (I wrote them last night) – stuff about relationships, priorities and success. Interesting to hold the two perspectives in tension…
Jen
Yeah, I was going to go into the husband aspect but the post was getting too long.
Interestingly, the husband is clearly shown to not be brave enough to do the things HE wants to do, let alone support his wife.
There is definitely a fine line here and I don't know the answer to it.
For example. Let's say the entire population of Britain is going to be wiped out by … whatever and I am the only one that can save them but it means I'm going to be away from my family for a year. Then let's say that my wife doesn't agree with me going and tells me she'll divorce me if I go.
What do I do? Is saving the lives of 60 million people better than saving my marriage?
Then add into it that God told me quite clearly he wanted me to go. Do i stay home to save my marriage or do I obey God?
Obviously this is an extreme and improbable scenario… but this is the question faced by many people on a much smaller scale every day.
Peter, you have no idea how timely this is at this very moment.
Good. I hope God speaks to you through it.
“…I know that I hold back because Iām afraid of what the sacrifice will mean in terms of… my relationships with my wife and kids…”
What is the priority? Does ministry come before family? Does family come before ministry? The answer to that question frames the sacrifice. IMHO
Thanks for the great comment, Scott.
Unfortunately I didn't have the space in the post to go into the full details behind that statement but in short, I'm not secure in my relationships.
That doesn't mean my relationships aren't secure, it just means that I have some deep-rooted insecurities and my fear is that if i do anything differently than exactly what I'm doing now, my relationships will collapse.
It's irrational. I know that. It's lack of rationality doesn't make it feel any less real to me though. I just don't have the guts to overcome my fears.
The questions you ask are very valid though. Which should you be more willing to sacrifice, your family or your obedience to God?
This is probably why the Apostle Paul says it's better to not be married! š
Peter, oh but isn’t marriage a wonderful, Godthing?!
I understand your insecurities and fears. And it’s nice to know I’m not alone! š
I don't know Peter, God prepares the way so I think something God led finds a way to be agreeable to everyone. It might also mean careful and intentional planning especially when family logistics are concerned. As the head of a family I think men are sometimes the idea generators but the details are left to the wife. That strikes fear in me. If I know my husband IS concerned for the details and is a partner in the plan, I can more better get onboard. That feels much more God intended. Still, one has to be on guard for the niggles of thought satan plants. He loves to cause pain and agony, and family strife. I think I will enjoy this movie. I do know teachers who spend a lot of their own money for supplies.
You're very right, something God-led feels agreeable to everyone…. except if one or other party is not feeling willing to be led by God.
Then, of course, comes the situation which too regularly arises where one person begins to put TOO much time, energy and devotion into something and doesn't take the time to monitor and maintain their own relationships.
I hope you get to see the film and that you enjoy it as much as I did.
That’s a very insightful way of looking at it, Robin. Nice.
Extremely timely post, Peter. My husband's hours will be cut in half as of Monday. This is his last 40 hour week for the next few years as he is returning to school. We've prayed long and hard about this and whether he should find another job to continue generating the income for our family. But, we've decided (been guided) towards something much harder and we're taking a leap of faith even though it means a great deal of sacrifice for our family. Much harder in practice now that it's so real in front of us. I don't know if I have the guts, but I'm doing it anyway because I believe we were called to something more.
It's easy to talk about sacrifice and stepping out in faith but it's so much harder to actually do it!
I think that it's awesome you are taking this step. You may not have the guts to do it but you DO have the guts to trust God – which is a lot of what faith is!
Great post and I would go so far as to say that Victory always requires a sacrifice (even if someone else has made the sacrifice for us). Great thoughts and interesting discussion as well. Thanks, Peter.
Thanks Jason.
I was going to say that victory always requires a sacrifice but I thought that someone might argue that and I didn't want to get the point of the post lost in a petty argument š
Thanks for saying it for me!
Well, that's what I'm here for, Peter. š
Great post! Speaking as one with perhaps too much guts–with Peter-like, impulsive guts as well as moments of more discerning guts–I can tell you that having guts brings rewards. But it is often not one bit of fun.
I had mixed emotions reading both the post and the comments. I hope it is okay for me to speak freely. (Btw-i found this blog through @gabbysherri )
First of all, i loved the movie.
I contemplated a lot while watching it who exactly was being selfish. I don't know if i totally came to a decision about that, but I did decide that there were things missing from the marriage. The biggest thing being open and two way honest communication.
There are people who do amazing things and influence many people in tremendous ways, but who is to say that in this case she would not have made as great a contribution to the world by staying with her husband , working on her marriage and having and raising amazing kids? Who the heck knows.
i know that life is a series of choices. Each choice you make then leads you to a fork in the road. In my opinion neither fork is wrong or right. And when you look back on your life, your choices (forks in the road) leave a weaving road through your life. Different paths, different twisted roads but none any less right than the other.
We all struggle in one way or another with what our purpose is in this life. Some are meant to influence the masses directly. Some are meant to influence one person at the time and let that influence spread like a ripple through the water and by one simple act touch millions (think pay it forward theory)
Do your best one day at a time. Don't live with regrets-live your life and the past as lessons learned. I hope it's okay to put this link in and I am only doing this because I think that what I had written is so very appropriate here. It's called Your starting point is now. http://www.newdaynewlesson.com/?p=3872
Can I be blunt and ask you what is it that you envision yourself doing (in a perfect world where all the choices and tools were in your hands) ? What is it that is holding you back right now from doing just a bit more than you are doing now?
And by the way-we do live in a perfect world where all the choices and tools are in our hands. We have to listen carefully to the words within.
I hope I haven't come across aggressive or unkind. I struggle every day with the same issues you do. It is why I started blogging about 6 months ago in an attempt to try to inspire others to change and grow (because if I can grow and change anyone can). It is why i started a kindness club 17 weeks ago with a weekly act of kindness and although it has not gotten the following I had hoped for, I continue doing it because I believe that if even one person does one nice thing for someone else the effect resonates a hundred times over at least.
Please don't beat yourself up. State your hopes and dreams and then release them into the universe and God's hands. Then live each day the kindest best way you can and you will achieve greatness.
Hang in there.
Yeah, I still can't decide who was being more selfish. He wasn't fully supporting her but then she was giving a very unbalanced amount of time and attention to her work… it's a hard one.
Thank you for such a detailed comment. My question though is that if every fork in the road is neither right nor wrong then how can you 'change and grow'?
If no choice I ever made was wrong, then there's no way to improve on that in the future, is there?
I think you are viewing it in human terms of judging yourself.
Choices made were the choices that were obviously appropriate at the time. I believe in free will. I believe that our souls are here in human form to learn something and grow. I believe if we have a lesson to learn, something or someone or a situation will manifest in our life to help us learn it. and we take a fork that sidesteps that lesson, another stronger version of that lesson will show up at another fork in the road and give us the opportunity to make a different choice this time.
The bad is all good because it leads us in the direction our soul yearns to take us.
I believe (despite my Jewish orthodox upbringing and life) that God is not judgmental. I believe we were are all godlike as well (forgetting the english translating but we were created in the shadow of God I believe is what I was searching for). We need to search within to find the godliness within ourselves to help lead us. At times we then after searching and praying just need to release hold and trust things to work out.
We need to view things in a positive way with positive affirmations. We need to remove the negative views on life. We need to get rid of the self pity and step up to the plate. And if we are not ready, to be satisfied and love the life we lead at this moment until we are ready.
I hope you forgive me for saying this but you seem in your words right now very weighed down and sad.
Please email me if you want to discuss this deeper in a private forum.