The movie is full of practical lessons that can be used as food for thought. One truth that stood out to me was simple but profound:
The law of momentum deeply affects all of our lives.
Isn't it funny how momentum seems to escalate in our lives (one way or the other)as a result of the small, everyday decisions that we make? The outcome of who we are at the end of our lives will likely be the result of pattens set in place by years of ordinary, seemingly insignificant choices. This can serve as a reminder that the mundane in life does have meaning for us, though we may be required to exercise a degree of faith in order to realize that meaning.
I have put a lot of thought into another concept that is seen at both the very beginning and very end of Forrest Gump.
During both segments, a white feather is shown floating on the wind, leaving us to wonder if it has arrived at it’s destination merely as a result of chance, or if there is a source of order that has guided the feather along, giving the feather’s destination meaning and purpose. Can our lives here on earth be compared to this feather ? Is life random ? If not, do the forces that act on our lives limit our ability to navigate our own course?
I have been taught that our lives have great purpose. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I believe that we each have an essence, or spirit, that contains much of the knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, experience, and most importantly, love that we have accumulated over the course of our existence. This essence is eternal in nature, and cannot be destroyed or diminished by our physical death. I believe that God is the Father of our spirits, and that He is a personage of infinite love, compassion, and holiness. I believe that we lived in His presence and were taught by Him before we came here to earth. I believe that our lives have a purpose here on earth, and that our actions here will have a great influence on where we will find ourselves in the next life. The knowledge of where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going has added perspective to the everyday choices that I make about how I spend my time, how I try to treat others, and how I set priorities.
I would like to use this generalized plan as a backdrop to reflect on some questions I have developed over the course of time in trying to find and understand my place in the grand scheme of things. I should state that the questions I ask and the conclusions I have come up with reflect my own thoughts and feelings, and should not be confused with the basic doctrines of my church. For information on this, I recommend going to www.mormon.org. This is a wonderful website geared at answering basic questions about the “Mormon” faith.
As I have come to terms with the fact that there is a God that cares about our lives, I have wondered about what this means for how we should view ourselves in relation to the world around us.
Specifically, I have wondered about how much we should be proactively engaged in the direction that our lives take.
On one hand, I see us as the feather in the wind at the close of Forrest Gump.
We are, with little effort on our own, guided by the powers of the universe to the people and situations we need for growth and service. God is an all knowing, all powerful being that is in control of the universe. His will is destined to be carried out regardless of the intentions of mankind…hence we have holy scriptures filled with His prophecies about the unfolding of our history here on earth. God not only has a generalized plan for all of mankind, but a specific plan for each of our individual lives. Our purpose in life is to “uncover ” that plan and carry it out. We have each been given special talents to help us carry out our specific mission on earth, which largely involve our ability to reach out to and help others to successfully complete their own missions. We have been placed in the circumstances and with the people that the Lord desires us to work with.
With these thoughts in mind, I have wondered about the wisdom of taking a proactive, goal oriented approach to life. Such a course would run counter to the natural flow of the universe. God’s plan is unfolding exactly as it should be, and if we accept life as it is given to us, we will always be in the right place at the right time…without the hindrance of an agenda. Jesus seemed to be alluding to this sort of existence when He taught that we should “take no thought for the morrow." This sort of life reflects trust in God, meaningful prayer with a desire to seek God’s will and not our own, acceptance of His will, obedience to His commandments, and a soft touch that allows us to be sensitive to His Spirit, which often prompts us to help certain people at certain times and gives us specific, daily direction. This Spirit operates in the capacity of a ” still small voice ” that is more often felt than heard. Strong emotions and distracted lifestyles can drown this voice out, so there is a certain need for reverence and sobriety in everyday life…no small task!
Certainly, success in this type of life would involve a peaceful, serene existence that is similar in it’s nature to certain aspects of eastern philosophy. Life is in a constant state of disintegration, so any attachments to it will ultimately result in a feeling of disappointment and frustration. Thus, we move through life with a certian degree of detachment to the world around us…not too high, not too low.
This lifestyle is one that I have tried in large measure to live up to for the past five years, using my agency to obtain God’s will and carry it out, but using very little creativity or developing very little opinionated thought.
I have recently wondered about a different approach that seems to be the polar opposite of the somewhat peaceful, reactive lifestyle I have described.
The second choice of lifestyle is one that by nature seems to be much more engaging than the first. It assumes that while God has chosen some of the highlights in our life needed for growth opportunities, He has left much of the details up to us, like an art teacher who lays out scissors, construction paper, and crayons and tells the class to go to work on a Christmas card for mom and dad. This mindset centers in a proactive, goal oriented approach to life that puts one in the position of being a “mover and a shaker.” The defining scripture for this finds the Savior counseling us to be ” anxiously engaged in a good cause” and that we should accomplish “much good of our own free will and choice”. He tells us that a person that must be commanded in all things is ” slothful, and not a wise servant."
The fundamental nature of this mindset is one of not waiting for commandments, but taking action routinely as we develop and carry out a goal oriented plan for our lives that involves weekly or daily accountability and somewhat aggressive action.
The upside to this paradigm is a feeling of energy and control over our lives. We are connected to the world around us, and are effective in our relationships with others. We feel deeply that we are making the fullest use of our freedom to choose, that we are expressing our innermost selves, and that we are ” happening to life ” and not vice versa. We have a vested interest in all of our duties, and a deep feeling of satisfaction from using the creative forces within us. We are “partners with God, sharing the decision-making duties in our lives. Instead of a feather floating in the wind, we are captains of a ship, charting and steering our own course, and receiving occasional direction from a very good weather forecaster.
The problem that I have developed in testing the waters of these two mindsets is the seeming impossibility of doing both effectively at the same time. I have found that the more goal oriented I become, the more I am likely to be distracted by my own thoughts and emotions. This creates a sort of spiritual ” static ” that makes subtle promptings from the Lord more difficult to feel and distinguish. If a specific plan is created, there is a likelihood of missing the forest for the trees, focusing more on predetermined results than on the minute to minute needs that the Lord may need my help on. Also, as emotions become deeply involved in the course of my life, I find myself less likely to be obedient to the Lord if a drastic course alteration is needed….I am more tempted to do my own will.
On the other side of the spectrum, if I take a feather in the wind approach and trust that the natural course of unfolding events is God’s will, I am much more in tune with the daily whisperings of God’s spirit, but much less energized and invested in the work of my life.
As a personality that has been drawn to the arts, the lack of creativity in this lifestyle is sometimes a painful gift to offer at the alter.
Inner peace has it’s price.
I guess the real question I have struggled with in pondering the pros and cons of these two lifestyles is the question of self expression.
The Savior said ” I do nothing of myself, but as my father hath taught me.” He personifies the virtue of obedience. If we are to emulate Jesus, who did only the will of Heavenly Father, where does our own thought process and creativity come into play as we live out our lives ? ”
Whosoever would save his life will lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it.”.
Are these virtues to be offered on the alter as willing sacrifices to our Heavenly Father as a means of turning our lives and wills over to Him ?
Or are we encouraged to use our creative powers to engage our minds and emotions and chart our own course through life, determining the specifics ourselves ?
Is spiritual victory found in surrendering or conquering ?
It is likely the answer will be different for each person, as we came to earth with our own disposition, personality, and set of lessons to learn.
Thinking through this paradox has taught me that our lives cannot be compared to one another using our own judgement. God’s design for us on earth seems to be more centered in growth opportunities than in final justice. We are all works in progress, and one way or another, just like the feather floating in the breeze, God’s wind will carry us to the place that is right for who we have chosen to become.
As the old saying goes….
” Water fills it’s measure….. so shall I.”
