Read More of Erica’s Contributions to AllMomDoes here.
I jumped in my seat when John fell through the ice. I was expecting it, but I still felt unprepared for the jolt. Isn’t that just like life? One minute you’re standing on solid ground and the next second you fall into the shockingly cold waters of unexpected or unwelcome circumstances.
That’s the gist of “Breakthrough.” It’s about a real family confronting a terrible plot twist in life. One moment it’s alarm clocks going off, breakfast on the run, and basketball games; the next it’s beeping machines, doctors, and weak coffee in a Styrofoam cup.
I’m a mom that’s been there, bending over a much-loved child in a hospital bed, praying for a miracle. Suddenly, time has no meaning. It’s just the urgent. It’s only the “now”. I revisited some of those moments in my movie seat, tears of gratitude streaming down my face, knowing that miracles look different in each of our lives.
Some miracles are instant. Some take a few weeks. Others take years. You will watch this story unfold with a sense of wonder and you also may wonder… where is my answer to prayer? This point is boldly and unapologetically addressed in the film.
When 14 year old John Smith fell through the ice in that lake, his parents Brian and Joyce unknowingly embarked on a journey of faith. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, God sent others to the couple to bless and sustain them along the way… their pastor, (who honestly, Joyce wasn’t a big fan of at the beginning of the story), their community in St. Louis, and ultimately people all over the world who prayed for John.
You will walk into the theatre knowing a young man fell through the ice, that a miracle happened… and he lived. You will leave the movie theatre knowing God is able to do remarkable things in your own life. You will leave remembering that God is involved in every single one of our stories and each one is unique. You will leave remembering that walking out our faith is messy and that’s okay; that we need others on the journey because that’s how we are designed; that everything happens for a reason; and your life has a purpose.
Also… you will laugh! The acting is on point, so you can invite a friend knowing you’re going to watch a cheese-free faith-based film together. It’s electrifying. Hopeful. Funny. Breath-stealing. Did I say hopeful?! “I absolutely loved Breakthrough”.
