Forever… Amen
Matthew 19:13-14
“Forever… Amen” is episode #241 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on July 31, 1993.
Summary
Youngster Danny Schmidt wonders about death and eternity when his mother's unborn baby dies as a result of miscarriage.
Plot
Danny Schmidt is excited. His mom is going to have a baby, and the Schmidts already know it will be a boy named Billy! Dr. Morton tells them that the ultrasound is occasionally wrong, but Danny and his father have made up their minds. Danny can’t wait for Billy to arrive, Danny will be the best big brother ever. But his excitement turns into apprehension when he talks to Harvey. Harvey informs Danny that having a little brother is probably the worst thing that could happen to him.
“You’ll have to give up all your privileges,” Harvey says, “and you’ll even have to do the ‘s’ word, share! Before, you were special. Now, you’re just one of the herd.”
Danny doesn’t like the sound of that at all, and he secretly wishes that Billy won’t come. Just then, Danny’s mother nearly collapses in pain. They rush her to the hospital, where she later loses the baby.
Danny believes it’s his fault. Whit takes Danny home with him. That evening, Danny has a nightmare that his parents will hate him when they find out about his terrible wish. Whit comforts Danny. They pray that Jesus will help Danny see that he’s not responsible for the loss of the baby, and that no one will hate him for his wish. And Jesus does comfort Danny, in a way that he, and even Whit, would never have imagined.
- This plot section is too short and should be expanded. »
Discussion Questions
- Was Harvey right about how Danny’s life would change once his little brother arrived?
- Explain.
- Why did Whit want Danny to pray after his bad dream?
- Can wishes come true?
- Is it good or bad to wish for things?
- Explain your answers.
Cast
Notes
- Trivia
- It's a possibility that this episode's plot element of Danny Schmidt meeting his younger sibling after she died was taken from the Frank Peretti story "Tilly."
- The plot of this episode is similar to that of #608: “Run-of-the-Mill Miracle”. Both episodes feature Whit taking a young boy (Danny in this case, Grady McKay in the other) under his wing after the boy's family makes an emergency trip to the hospital to tend to the boy's sister. Both episodes also explore the concepts of prayer and the supernatural in response to tragedy.
- This episode was used in a series Focus on the Family did on the sanctity of human life.
- To fill time at the end of this episode, a featurette was included that featured Chris and Harlow interviewing fans.
- Goofs
- In this episode, Doctor Morton is an OB/GYN. In #213: “Best Intentions” she is a cardiologist.
Quotes
Harvey: First off you'll have to give up all your privileges.
Danny Schmidt: Privileges?
Harvey: You know. Special stuff. Like staying up late, or playing over at a friends house.
Danny Schmidt: Well, that's not so bad.
Harvey: That's only the beginning. Wait until you have to do the "s" word: share!
- Episodes aired 17 times
- Episodes in Album 17: On Earth as It Is in Heaven
- 1993 Season Episodes
- Episodes sorted alphabetically
- Episodes sorted chronologically
- Episodes hosted by Chris Anthony
- Episodes written by Phil Lollar
- Episodes directed by Phil Lollar
- Episodes produced by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with sound design by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with music by John Campbell
- Episodes recorded at Unknown
- Episodes engineered by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes executive produced by Chuck Bolte
- Episodes in Faith Launch
- Episodes with Normal intro
- Episodes with Character (Whit) intro
- Episodes with Previews intro
- Episodes with Narration wraps
- Episodes with Normal wraps
- Episodes with theme of God's love
- Episodes with theme of Loss
- Episodes with references from Matthew
- Episodes produced by Paul McCusker
- Episodes with promos
- Episodes with samples
- Episodes on CBD
- Episodes on iTunes
- Episodes on Amazon
- Episodes on AIOHQ
- Episodes on the Odyssey Library
- Episodes on the Odyssey Scoop
- Episodes on the Soda Fountain
- Episodes with Billie Schmidt
- Episodes with Danny Schmidt
- Episodes with Harvey's mother
- Episodes with John Whittaker
- Episodes with Laura Schmidt
- Episodes with Doc Morton
- Episodes with Steven Schmidt