I'll Push you

Last night I went and saw the One night only showing of “I’ll Push You”.  If you haven’t heard of the film here is a link to the trailer. https://youtu.be/W7gKD3q0-V0 It is about a man named Justin who has a debilitating disease that has left him without the use of his hands and legs.  After watching a documentary about the Camino De Santiago trek he has a yearning to go.  He brings it up to his friend Patrick who says I’ll push you.  I had been looking forward to seeing this movie for a whole host of reasons.  Mostly I was thankful that it would be bringing more awareness to what life is like with such a debilitating disease. Not just for the person who has the disease but also the people caring for that person.  Most people don’t always get a real good view on the difficulty it is to even do the simplest tasks like getting dressed and combing your hair.  I felt like this movie did a really good job portraying this aspect well.  It showed how much work his best friend patrick did on a daily basis just to get his friend ready for bed and up and ready to get on the hike each day.  I loved the tender and thoughtful moments it captured of Patrick the friend.  One thing in particular was in transferring Justin from his wheel chair to another chair. The audience saw Justin’s pants fall down.  Once transferred Patrick asked Justin if he needed his pants adjusted. Patrick was intentional in thinking of all of Justin’s needs understanding how vulnerable Justin has to feel to allow him to help.  I appreciated the sweet friendship between the two.  I was overcome with emotion that Patrick would move his family out of state to go help Justin’s wife care for their kids and Justin.  The film did a great job portraying the importance of community and friendship and really entering in to peoples lives.One particular moment in the film had me sobbing.  The last leg of the 500 mile trek was going to be super difficult terrain, high inclines, and windy weather.  They were debating if they should call it quits.  Once in town they were surprised to see a huge group of fellow hikers who waited for Patrick and Justin so that they could help ensure they had help to finish the last section.  It was touching to see strangers helping, Justin trusting others, and patrick allowing others the privilege of helping.  It's a beautiful story.  I was however sad that it really lacked depth in the purpose of our suffering.  I was wanting to hear Justin credit the Lord for redeeming him from the darkness of having a desire to end his life.  I wanted to hear both them say they have a hope in Christ that is greater then their circumstances.  Overall I recommend the movie and hope it brings awareness to many out there and a heart to want to enter in to the hard.  I would love to know your thoughts.  As always thank you for following along.

Mel