What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

What responsibilities are you carrying alone?

Monday night this week, I finally watched the movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”

If you have, you‘ll have a general idea of what I’ll be speaking on, regarding the plot, so I’ll share briefly small details from the characters and what happens with the Grape family.

So we get an image of the Grape family, which consists of 5 members that we’re shown :

• Gilbert is the protagonist and narrator of the story. He is the de facto head of the household after his father's death, shouldering immense responsibility as the primary caregiver for his mentally disabled brother, Arnie, and their morbidly obese mother, Bonnie.

• Arnie is Gilbert's younger brother, who is developmentally delayed. His presence in the family is both a source of joy and stress due to his unpredictable behavior, such as repeatedly climbing the town's water tower.

• Bonnie is Gilbert's mother, who suffers from extreme obesity and depression following her husband's suicide. She is primarily confined to the house and dependent on her children for care.

• Amy is Gilbert's older sister and plays a significant role in managing the household and caring for Arnie alongside Gilbert.

• Ellen is Gilbert's younger sister and a teenager struggling with typical adolescent frustrations, including a desire for independence and a degree of negativity towards her family.

Gilbert's life is characterized by a constant tension between his desire for personal freedom and the immense burden of his family responsibilities. His significance lies in his unwavering devotion and self-sacrifice for his family, despite the tremendous stress and frustration he experiences.

The constant judgmental stares from others, the family always being bullied by others, the whole family is basically outcasted as they 'don't belong.’

From all this, you can see that something is dead inside Gilbert. The weight of the responsibilities holds him down as he continues to try to better himself to make everything in his house run smoothly.

Shortly, He meets a girl named Becky, who represents a potential escape and a different kind of life for Gilbert, offering him a glimpse of hope and a chance at personal freedom. Her significance lies in her non-judgmental nature, her acceptance of the Grape family, and her ability to encourage Gilbert to prioritize his own needs and desires, ultimately fostering his personal growth.

And long story short, everything starts to fall into place, and it ends as a happy movie. But a pretty moving movie, so I had a heavy heart after.

I couldn’t help but ask myself the question, “What weight have I been carrying alone?”

Gilbert became like a mirror I was looking at.

There are responsibilities that I, as a man, need to handle and take care of for my well-being; mentally, physically, and spiritually.

From that, there is stress, anxiety, pressure that would build up inside, eating me alive, as I try and try to maintain a facade as if everything within me is holding everything together, my anger, frustration, confusion on why things happen the way they happen.

But just like Gilbert had Becky, who helped him see the light during a dark and challenging season, I know someone far better who already interceded for me since before I was born and formed and is always for us.

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus invites us to leave it all at the altar, at his feet, so He can carry the weight for us as we put our rest and trust in him. Taking on a burden that’s light to bear.

1 Peter 5:7 ESV says, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

John 1:4-5 ESV says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus's life brings understanding, truth, and spiritual insight to everyone. He is the source of all life, physical and spiritual. In our storms, we can know that he’s the light that always guides us and our paths.

Isaiah 43:19 ESV says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

It is hard to see what God is doing in our complicated and challenging seasons, whether it’s to prune us, teach us something new, or push us to the next thing in our lives or spiritual walks with him. But trust.

Trust God.

Trust God is going to make a way when we face challenges or feel lost. It's a reminder that human limitations do not limit God's power and that He can bring about new beginnings and solutions where we see only dead ends.

"If you never go anywhere but where Christ leads the way, you need not be afraid of storms, for they will beat upon him more than upon you." - Charles Spurgeon

He is doing something new already; all it takes is to make that faith grow within, the spirit stronger, and our devotion to him deeper. He sustains us. We hope that when we step out in faith, casting our burdens and anxieties on him, God intervenes on our behalf to help us carry our weight and bring him glory.

thank you all for tuning in, hope this helps as a reminder, refresher, and challenges you. yours truly.