Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 15:33, ” David said to him, ‘If you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me.’ ” 

Background

In the movie Rain Man , Charlie Babbitt is a wheeler and dealer in the midst of a large auto import deal. While his four Lamborghinis are being held up at the port by the EPA, Charlie learns that his estranged father has died, leaving to him a 1949 Roadmaster and his prized rose bushes. But the vast majority of the three million dollar estate has been given to a mental institution where his brother lives, of whom Charlie was unaware. Upon meeting his older sibling, Charlie takes Raymond, who has autism, to a hotel that night, and when Charlie goes back to the hospital the next day, he tells the doctor that he will return Raymond for $250,000. When the doctor refuses, Charlie decides to seek custody of Raymond, which will gain him access to the estate and relieve his financial problems, which have worsened since the creditors just seized his four autos. But getting Raymond back to L.A. proves difficult. His autism prevents him from flying, and after seeing a wreck on the interstate, Raymond can no longer handle traveling on the highway. Every hotel and each meal uncover another layer of the challenges and difficulties of living with Raymond. But as his burdens weigh heavier, Charlie also develops a love for his brother. He soon realizes that his childhood imaginary friend he called Rain Man was actually Raymond, who lived at home the first few years of Charlie’s life before being taken to the asylum. Charlie eventually desires a relationship with Raymond for his own sake, and not for the money. 

Application

If you go on with someone, it’s likely that they might become more of a burden to you. Their problems might become yours, their headaches your migraines. But quite possibly, something more than aggravation will grow out of the time you share. It will not be easy, and the price might seem much higher than the expected return. But going forward, God’s hand can work through His child who sees more than what’s evident and gives more than what he can get. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, open your heart and calendar to someone or something that’s a little less than convenient. 

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words