GROUNDHOG DAY

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (GW)

Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others.

In the Harold Ramis film “Groundhog Day”, TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is forced to cover the “Groundhog Day” ceremonies in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the fifth year in a row. It is an assignment he truly despises, but this year something truly bizarre happens: When he awakens the next morning, eager to leave, he discovers it’s “Groundhog Day” all over again.

When the same thing happens the next morning, he thinks he’s going insane and wreaks havoc throughout the town. More mornings pass, all of them “Groundhog Day”, and with each, Phil grows angrier. Desperate to escape, Phil attempts suicide, but yet another “Groundhog Day” dawns.

As Phil starts realizing that his exploits are not making time march on any quicker, he begins to change his behavior. By observing life around him, Phil becomes aware of the needs of others and along the way learns more about himself than he ever thought possible.

Although a lighthearted film, “Groundhog Day” offers the viewer opportunities to look deeper into the meaning of life. Punxsutawney Phil, not the groundhog, has become trapped in a prison of his own making. After four trips to this tiny, western Pennsylvania town, Phil has had enough. He feels that his talents could be better utilized in a larger more prestigious station or network. Instead he is stuck in a tiny station, in a tiny market, covering a tiny animal, coming out of a tiny hole in the ground. By diminishing himself through the belittlement of others and his surroundings, Phil gets to relive his worst nightmare-“Groundhog Day”. Phil Connor’s life became what he disliked the most.

Imagine having to live the worst day of your life over and over and over again. What if no matter what you did you could not change the outcome of that day. How would you handle it?

Romans 7:24 (BBE)

How unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death?

To those who deal with emotional scars and the ravishes of sin, perhaps you can see yourself in Phil Conners. Although trapped in a time warp, Phil was making progress.

What started as bitter entrapment, led to selfish overindulgence, then to reluctant acceptance, and finally personal development.

While trapped in this icy PA. town Phil was cold and harsh to those around him. He dealt with those who came in contact with him with icy indifference.

One “Groundhog Day”, Punxy Phil found a fire of compassion warming his attitude and thawing his iced reactions to others. Future days would be better.

Finally Phil found himself loving “Groundhog Day”, the day he formerly hated, and was ultimately freed from it’s endless repetition. When finally able to give of himself to others, Phil found Punxsutawny to be a town full of opportunity rather than a prison, and “Groundhog Day” a day worth living rather than dreading.

As long as we are controlled by our bitter pasts, and harmful memories, or as long as yesterday’s scars continue to bring emotional hurt, we are not free to be all we can be.

Jesus Christ came along to offer us a way out of our Punxsutawnies. He came to give us a purpose and reason for looking beyond ourselves. He came to thaw our indifference to others. He came to offer us a new way of living. He came to free us from our “Groundhog Days”. Only by reaching out to others with the love of Christ, will we ever be totally free from endlessly repeating our own “Groundhog Days”.

Hebrews 3:13 (GW)

Encourage each other every day while you have the opportunity. If you do this, none of you will be deceived by sin and become stubborn.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey