I finally decided to watch the movie Good Will Hunting. I knew it had won awards. I knew Robin Williams, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck were in it.
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Beyond that, I had no idea what it was about, but Netflix recommended it while I was on the elliptical, so I went for it.
Matt Damon is a janitor at a university by day. But at night, when all the other students leave the building, Damon is a math whiz, who solves formulas even the professor can’t. Then he goes to the bar with his buddies, drinks his problems away, and starts over the next day.
The professor quickly catches on and realizes Will (Damon) is a genius, but everything about his life says otherwise. He is a foul-mouthed, disrespectful, punk kid. On the surface anyway. Deep down, however, he is crying for help, a little boy desperately seeking some validation.
Robin Williams plays a psychologist assigned to get to the “deeper issues” of Will’s heart, but Will isn’t interested. His plan is to push Sean Maguire (Williams) away, just as he has done with everyone else in his life.
Foster parents had given up on him, beat him, burned him, and more. He had never understood the concept of grace and love. After realizing this psychologist wasn’t going to just throw in the towel, Will softens little by little.
Then came these words of out Maguire’s mouth. Words that changed the heart of this kid and set his life on a different course.
It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.
Will finally grasps the truth. He finally realizes he wasn’t responsible for the pain inflicted on him as a child. Finally, after years of building walls around his heart, he is able to let it go, as he embraces Maguire and cries tears of safety for the first time in his life.
I write this to YOU today.
You, the one whose father molested and raped you.
You, the one whose mother beat you beyond recognition.
You, the one whose teacher told you how worthless you were.
You, the one whose uncle told you if you told anyone he would kill you.
It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry those things happened to you. I’m sorry you couldn’t trust those with authority over you. I’m sorry they lied to you. I’m sorry they hurt you. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.
Today, though, is different. Today is a new day.
Today is the day to embrace God’s love for you. Today is the day to understand what His grace for you means. Today is the day for you to grasp the truth about who you are and how much the God who created you loves you. Today is the day.
Today is the day you cry out for help to someone you can trust. Today is the day you allow them to embrace you as you cry until you can’t possibly get anymore tears out. Today is the day you stop allowing the past to control your future. Today is the day you believe there is hope.
Today is the day.
Your past doesn’t have to be your future. I’m living proof. I want freedom for you. I’m praying for you. I’m believing in a new future for you.
I love you.
I loved that movie and that scene. So powerful
Can’t believe it took me this long to watch it.
This message needs to be shared! Thanks for being a catalyst!!
It certainly needs to be share, Jim.
Good Will Hunting was very good. Dead Poet’s Society is my favorite.
I haven’t seen that one yet.
“It’s not your fault.” Such a powerful message that needs to be repeated often. Thanks for your post.
Hello. I’m Rodney. One of the few guys on the Wall Around Your Heart Launch Team. I’m just dropping in to a few blogs to say hello. Keep up the blogging and I’ll see you online. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Rodney. Appreciate it.
What a message of hope!
Thank you, Margaret.
do you think that abuse like this always has a negative effect? I was sexually abused by my grandfather from ages (about) 5—its my first memory in life—until i was 15 when someone found out and child protective services came to my school and all that…my parents were supportive in the fact that they believed it and kept me safe because he told me he would kill my parents and siblings if i said anything—well, i have been a mess all my life, but maybe i would have been anyway–i don’t even think about it—i mean it happened, but i don’t know if i am so disconnected that i don’t realize it bothers me, or if it has been whats contributed to my messed up life or not…maybe i would have been messed up if it hadn’t happened..I mean, i am depressed a lot but i don’t think, oh look what he did it depresses me so—i don’t even think about it. the only effect i really see it may have had is when he would do painful things to me, things that hut so bad physically i thought i was going to die—well, i prayed and prayed and prayed and begged God to stop it..i prayed for 10 years until he answered me,,it used to make me mad, but not anymore because a lady at the church i went to when i was 15 1/2 approached me..and I had NEVER said anything to anyone EVER about it–the lady didn’t even know me really—her daughter and I were acquaintances but that was it—she approached me one day and was real nice just started chatting, well, she continued to chat with me whenever i saw her at church, then one day she right out said “who is hurting you? I was like what are you talking about your crazy etc etc etc, she said God told her someone was hurting me, I remember getting pretty defensive trying to deny it but eventually after several more weeks and after she promised not to say anything, i told her about it, and she didn’t say anything for several weeks, but then one day at church she told me she had to tell the authorities because she was obligated to..and she did and that’s a whole other story,,,So God did intervene..10 years later—but maybe i was going to be a screwed up individual anyway?? I just don’t feel like the things i choose to do or how i feel is because of it..It just seems like i would fell and be like I am anyway, who knows
I think abuse will have a negative effect until it is really dealt with and
healing takes place. The truth of what happens never goes away. We can’t just bury what happened and expect it not to have consequences, whether that’s to our minds, bodies, or both. We have to allow Jesus to come in and heal those dark places that have been affected by the evil that is on this earth.
I’m so sorry your grandfather did those things to you. Not only does it make me angry knowing it, God is angry, too. It breaks his heart to know you had to suffer through that. Your grandfather will have to answer for the destruction he caused.
First, you have to stop telling yourself how messed up you are. Beth Moore says, “The quality of our lives usually grows from what
and who we believe we are.” If you believe that’s all you are is messed up, then that’s what you’ll always believe.
Disconnecting from the world isn’t something God has planned for our lives. He created us for relationships. Ask God to reveal to you why you are really disconnecting. What is the fear? What fear have you lived with since your grandfather did those things to you that says you are messed up? What’s the lie behind that fear? Now is the
time to replace those lies with the truth about what God says about you.
Here are just a few things He says:
He knit you together in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13-14). He loves you with an everlasting love. (Jer. 31:3). He is with you. (Isaiah 41:10). Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalm 34:5).
Do you see how much God loves you and desires for you to walk away from depression and live fully for Him?
Beth Moore says, “Satan desires to have women in a stronghold of exploitation, sexploitation, distortion, and desolation. He knows how effective and influential women can be, so he works through society to convince us we are so much less than we are.”
I believe you need to seek some Christ-centered counseling to deal with the aftermath of your abuse. What happened to you wasn’t your fault, but what you do with is it up to you. You have to make the decision not to allow your past to control your future, because God has an amazing future planned for YOU!