continued “Movies That Inspire Me” series…

The Cure is the story of two young boys who become unlikely friends. One is dying from AIDS, which he contracted through a blood transfusion. The other, is an emotionally abused child of an alcoholic single mother. Their friendship inspires an incredible journey to find a cure.

What inspires me about this movie is the willingness of a young person to befriend someone the rest of the world misunderstood, ridiculed and even feared. He was willing to “jump the fence” that isolated someone who was different…an outsider. It wasn’t pity…or even sympathy…it was genuine friendship. That friendship made the difference between dying alone and finding a reason to live.

I pray that I am always one of those willing to jump the fence…to be a friend to the friendless…to be able to see past what the world sees and into the heart and beauty of one God loves. That, to me, is what it means to do unto the least of these…the forgotten…the hurting…the lonely.

Will you be their friend?

I love movies. They entertain me. Some even inspire me. For the next few posts, I’d like to share with you some movies that have inspired me.

The movie, Billy Elliott, is set in 1984 England during the miners strike and revolves around an 11-year-old boy who takes an interest in a local ballet class. His mother died several years back and both his father and older brother are miners leaving the family very poor because of the strike. Billy’s father does not take too well to his son’s new interest…until, he finds out that there may be a talent there that could afford his son a better life and a chance to pursue a dream.

What inspires me is what the father chooses to do. He goes back to work. At a time when strikes are violent and scabs are beaten, if not killed…he heads back to the mine. Why? Because his son needs money to attend a prestigious art school in London. He lays down his ideals…his opinion…even his very life…so that his son can follow his dream.

THAT is love. Putting yourself aside so that others may succeed. Doing whatever it takes…not so you can win…but so another can win. That’s what Jesus demonstrated on the cross. That’s what good parents do for their kids. That’s what great leaders do for those they lead.

It’s what each of us should do.

Yesterday, being Mother’s Day, included a road trip to a family gathering out of town. We packed up the kids, grabbed a quick bite and hit the open road. Everything went swimmingly for the first hour and a half of our 2 hour trip when, suddenly, our check engine light came on. Not much we could do about at the time, so we finished out the last leg of our journey.

Before getting ready for our return home, however, we decided to check things out under the hood to make sure there wasn’t something that could become a major problem on the interstate. Sure enough, the engine was out of oil…bone dry. If I had just ignored the Check Engine light, my family could have been in some serious trouble.

As leaders, we cannot afford to ignore the check engine lights…those signs that indicate a problem. Sure, we may be able to coast a short distance without danger…but, eventually, we put everything and everyone we lead in serious jeopardy of collapse. Make sure you take the time to pop the hood of your team from time to time. A little preventive maintenance can prevent a world of pain.