Sunday 14th February F is for Forward

F is for Forward.....well strictly speaking this entry should really be called "Pay it Forward "...but wanted to stick to the F words.!!

We have just spent Valentines evening together..enjoying a lovely roast dinner and watching a feel good film called "Pay it Forward" and it has had such a strong impact on us that I have literally walked through from the living room as the titles have gone up and started this blog...to get it all down while it was still fresh in my mind. Have you seen it ??... I don't ever remember it being in the cinema so perhaps it was a "straight to dvd " film..or maybe its really old..it was in the £2.99 section in Sainsbury yesterday and it was worth so much more than that.

I wont spoil all the storyline in case you want to watch it but suffice to say a school teacher challenged his class of 11 year olds to write an assignment based on "something that could change the world" and the wee boy who the story is based on outlined a plan where by he did something good to three people and then those three people had to "pay it forward " to three others ( thus making 9) and then those 9 had to "pay it forward " ( thus making 27) and so on and so on.....

Near the end after watching this all unfold the wee lad is interviewed as the "Founder " of this "Movement " called
"Pay it Forward "...(remember this is all fiction) ...and the wee lad says he didn't know it had worked and he thought it had not gone beyond his own 3 people because it

"had to be something really really really hard...and something that maybe you would be scared to do "

One of the people who did "pay it forward " had gone to her mum who had been a drunk and had neglected her growing up and who had become a bag lady of sorts and this person who was "paying it forward " found her mum amongst the street people and said "I forgive you " Watching this section of the film had me weeping ...identification always produces tears for me and as I saw the emotions playing out (remember this is fiction )...I once again saw the power in those words "I forgive you " and even now as I type I can feel tears forming as I " hear " the words of Jesus on the cross saying "Forgive them Father" and as I almost daily encounter Jesus showing me hard things..asking me hard things...but knowing that it is all about "paying it forward" ...God...who began a good work in me wants to complete it...He doesn't want me to "stay the way I am " He wants to change me and that's why He "paid it forward "for me . (remember this is NOT fiction )

As Chris and I watched the film we were incredibly moved by it and the power of doing "hard things"....and as the story developed we saw lots of stories unfold all over America...(remember this is fiction ) and many of the stories involved were about drunks and addicts and bullies....but there was also the ones about giving things to those who didn't have and being there for people who needed help....

"Pay it Forward " is almost a picture of what Jesus did for me..for each of us...He paid the price thousands of years ago so that I might be forgiven...He challenges me daily to "pay it forward " to others...if I did this every day of my life...if all of us "paid it forward" to 3 people as often as we could and they did the same and then those people did the same...
could we change the situation...
could we change ourselves...
could we change our families..
could we change our communities..
could we change our town....
could we change our world....

When Jesus "paid it forward " He began a revolution of love..peace..grace..mercy..forgiveness...and so much more...

He paid it forward for everyone..

not just for 3 people.....and it changed the world.....

I am going to be "paying it forward " this week...I am going to find 3 people who I can bless in some way...maybe not that big a thing but something that will change their world in a small way ..flowers...a card...a coffee invite..a letter...a smile.......maybe they will "pay it forward " and maybe if you are reading this blog you can do something similar to 3 people you know and ......hey before we know where we are we could have a "movement"...Actually I believe we already have a movement..its called the CHURCH....so lets all "Pay it Forward ".