What a movie can do

Sometimes watching a movie triggers some thoughts, some emotions or some old memories. And sometimes a movie just entertains you.


Watching a movie tonight triggered some thoughts about my dad. The movie was ‘A Warrior’s Heart’.

Watching the movie tonight brought back memories and emotions. I saw a dad who was involved in his son’s life - at least involved in helping his son with his Lacrosse career in high school. His dad would teach him how to be a better player.


My dad and I weren’t real close as I grew up but we did talk occasionally. We talked mostly about sports and some current events after he got home from work at night, if I was home. As I got older I was out most nights.

We didn’t do much together. We didn’t hunt or fish or golf or do chores or walk together or anything like that. Mostly my dad came home from work ate dinner, read the newspaper, listened to the radio, drank a few bottles of beer and then went to bed.

It was pretty much the same on weekends.

During the summer months I would occasionally take him to work so I could use the car during the day so we talked during those times but it was only a 10 or 15 minute trip so we didn’t have a lot of time together.

We did do a few things together. Occasionally I could talk my dad into playing catch with me with a baseball and I did get him to help me deliver papers on my Sunday newspaper route when it got colder.

When I was young and even early into my adult life I would have difficulty with anger. I never understood why I would get upset so easily. And it took a while to get through it.

After participating in a ‘Men’s Fraternity’ group a few years ago I started to understand why I was angry when I was younger. One of the causes identified is that an absent father, either physically or emotionally, can be the reason for anger in men, both young and old. This translated means that the dad isn’t there to teach the son how to do things or to teach him about life or to just spend time together.

I would have blamed my dad when I heard that if I hadn’t already realized some time earlier that my dad didn’t have a dad that was involved in his life. So he didn’t have a good relationship or a good example that he could learn from.

My grandfather worked all day then came home to get cleaned up and eat and then went out to the backroom of a local restaurant to play poker all night according to my mom.

What helped me through the anger more than anything was my relationship with God. God transforms your life when you accept Him and let Him lead you. And the way this is made evident in your life is through the fruit of the Spirit. Some of the fruit is kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Read about the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.