At The Movies "Pursuit of Happyness"
We just kicked off our At The Movies Series this weekend and we showed one of my personal favorites from last year, Pursuit of Happyness. We had an amazing first weekend at the N-dub; especially being that it was 4th of July weekend. The energy was great, atmosphere exciting, 2,500 people in attendance and lives were changed. Here is my weekend wrap-up of this weeks movie:
This is a true story of a man named, Chris Gardner, who experienced deep adversity and affliction. As a child Gardner spent many years in and out of foster homes. As an adult and in the movie Gardner is a bone density scanner salesman who splits up with his wife and ultimately ends up homeless with his son. This passage in the Book of Isaiah speaks to his situation: Isaiah 30:20-21 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Gardner developed an unwavering perseverance, endures homelessness and ends up pursuing an internship for a stockbroker position at a major Wall Street stock brokerage firm. Despite the adversity, affliction and trials Gardner went through, his hard work and perseverance pays off. This passage in the book of James speaks to this: James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The man that you see in the picture at the top of this post was featured in the movie “Pursuit of Happyness.” They call him Larry “The Trashcan Man” Hunt and he is a bucket drummer on the streets of San Francisco. I took this picture and talked w/ Larry while my wife and I are on vacation in San Francisco. Larry’s story could be similar to the real Chris Gardner, he is pursuing his happyness and due to the break that he received by being briefly featured in the movie, happyness might just be around the corner. Of all the pan handlers and street hustlers that we saw in San Francisco, there is something different about Larry. Larry told me that he was scheduled to be on Oprah in the fall……… and the rest will be history.
In closing: Galatians 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- Are you in the pursuit stage of achieving your happyness? What area?
- Any thoughts or comments about the movie or the At the Movies Series?
