Do you remember the movie, “The Green Mile?” The cell block Paul (Tom Hanks) works in is called the “Green Mile” by the guards because the condemned prisoners walking to their execution are said to be walking “the last mile”; here, it is a stretch of faded lime green linoleum to the electric chair. At the end of the movie, old Paul Edgecomb says, ” And I think about all of us. Walking our own Green Mile, each in our own time.” We each owe a death – there are no exceptions – but, oh God, sometimes the Green Mile seems so long. (imdb memorable quotes)
There are two things that stood out to me when I first heard this. We are all walking our own green mile, in our own time. The second is, we each owe a death. When we are born into this world, no one knows how long they will be here. Christ gave his life so they we will have eternal life. He died for mankind. But, we have to make that choice. It is not something anyone or anything can obtain for us. God did it so we could choose. Have you ever been in a relationship where you tried to make things work but it was one sided? God loves us but he can’t make it work if we don’t surrender fully to Him.
Our walk in life is like the green mile. We are all condemned unless we choose life. What awaits us is our decision.” Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will last not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-25