|
Cont'd from page 1
He ran home to tell his family, but on the way, a Wonka competitor stopped him and made him an offer that would make him rich. All Charlie had to do was get him a sample of the ‘Everlasting Gobstopper’ that Wonka was developing. The Gobstopper was a special chocolate as it could last forever. It would be a great treat for children with little pocket money.
When he got home, his family rejoiced at the news he shared with them. The ticket also allowed him to bring one family member on the tour, so he chose his grandfather. His grandfather, who had not walked in years, sprang to his feet and sang: “I never thought my life could be anything but catastrophe. But suddenly I see a bit of good luck for me. 'Cause I’ve got a golden ticket. And with a golden ticket, it’s a golden day.”
On the great day of the tour, Willy Wonka welcomed the children and their families into his factory. What he showed them was beautiful beyond anything they had imagined. As he did so, he sang, “Come with me, and you’ll be, in a world of pure imagination. What we’ll see will defy explanation. If you want to view Paradise, simply look around and view it.”
He also gave the families some rules to follow, but four of them disobeyed those rules. Greed and impatience had overcome them. They paid the price for this as their actions caused their eviction from the factory with no chance to return. Charlie and his grandfather also disobeyed some rules, but Wonka did not evict them. He had a reason for that and chose not to share it then.
When the tour ended, Wonka asked Charlie and his grandfather to leave the factory. His manner was abrupt, which made them wonder if they had done something wrong. They also wanted to know why
Wonka had not given them the lifetime supply of chocolate he had promised. Wonka then pointed out the rules they had broken, and that is why he would not give them the chocolates.
Charlie felt disappointed but remembered a promise he had made to Wonka during the tour. The promise was that he would not share the Gobstopper sample Wonka had given him with anyone. If Charlie shared it with the man who promised to make him rich, then he would break his promise. Charlie did not want to become rich that way. So before leaving the factory, he returned the Gobstopper sample to Wonka.
When he did that, Wonka said, “So shines a good deed in a weary world. Charlie, my boy, you won. You did it. I knew you would. I had to test you Charlie, and you passed the test. You won the grand and glorious jackpot.” He also told Charlie that the man who had offered to make him rich was not Wonka’s competitor. He was Wonka’s employee, and what he had asked Charlie to do was a test. Charlie was the only one who passed the test.
The jackpot for passing the test was not only a lifetime of Wonka chocolates. It was the factory itself. Wonka said he couldn’t run it forever, nor did he want to. So he wanted to give it to an honest, loving child to whom he could pass on all his precious secrets.
What the movie reminded me of.
Depend on God alone
Those who depend on luck feel sad when they do not get what they expected. They also feel lost as they don’t know what to do next. Blaming everything on bad luck will still not give them what they want.
God wants us to depend on Him alone, as He is the source of everything, including what we may think is luck. We must implore Him for what we want. If He gives it to us, we must use it to please Him and seek the Hereafter. If He does not give it to us, He is doing it in our interest. He will soon make us understand, and everything will turn out all right. When you
depend on God alone, you become free, unlike those who depend on luck instead of God.
[3:159] … . Once you make a decision, carry out your plan, and trust in GOD. GOD loves those who trust in Him.
Earn your Moses moment
Charlie’s mother told him his luck would change “when he least expected it.” God does this for us too, but instead of waiting for things to change, we must earn the change we want. We have the example of the moment when God parted the sea for prophet Moses. No one expected that to happen. But Moses did not escape from Pharaoh’s pursuit without first earning God’s support. He earned it through years of steadfast submission to God. That is how we must also earn the change we want. God will then make it happen when we deserve it and least expect it. We learn this from many verses in the Quran, like:
[65:2] … Anyone who reverences GOD, He will create an exit for him. [65:3] And will provide for him whence he never expected. Anyone who trusts in GOD, He suffices him. … [65:4] Anyone who reverences GOD, He makes everything easy for him.
Take heed of every word in the Quran
The Quran has all we need to know and the rules we must follow. But I often did not pay full attention to what I was reading in it. That was a sign of me being unappreciative of a gift from God which I never expected to come my way. As Charlie’s grandfather said, “I never thought my life could be anything but catastrophe.” For sure, if God did not send the Quran my way, my life would be a catastrophe.
I was already improving my approach to reading the Quran, and this reminder through the movie helped. I now remind myself to read the Quran as if I were preparing for a Quran study. This helps me focus and learn from it better.
Cont'd on page 3