By Mallory Mattingly
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 director Andrew Erwin takes to heart lessons from his upcoming movie as he and his family walk through a challenging time.
“So one of the things that I’m really happy about with the new movie, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2, is to be able to tell Tim Timmons’ story,” Erwin said in a video shared on Instagram. “There’s something really special about his life, philosophy of gratitude. And he makes a statement every day with this, with a sharpie, writes an X on his wrist, and it’s just his way of marking another day that God woke him up, a day he wasn’t promised and being able to say, ‘I’m grateful for that, and thank you.'”
He explained that this attitude of gratitude is encouraging him right now.
“…I’m not able to take people on a journey that I’m not willing to take myself as a filmmaker. And we’re in it right now. We’re just, we’re in it,” he admitted.
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“You know, my wife is walking a family member to heaven right now, and that transition from this life to the next, and it’s always hard one, but also a beautiful thing, and I’m watching my wife walk that with just grace and strength, and It’s just beautiful to witness just the redemptiveness of that,” Erwin shared.
“And I think for me, that really illustrates the heart of the story we just told,” he explained, referencing I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2. “That there’s fires in life. Sometimes you wonder where God is, but God’s in the fire with you, and it’s beautiful.”
“And so I don’t know where you’re at today,” the director continued, adding, “and I don’t know what fires you’re facing. I don’t know what you’re feeling, but I can tell you that there’s a very real God that’s in the fire with you.”
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2, the sequel to Teddy Bear Award® winner I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, is set to hit theaters on Feb. 20.
“After the breakout success of the song ‘I Can Only Imagine,’ MercyMe’s Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) is living the dream—sold-out arenas, a devoted fan base, and a thriving career. But behind the spotlight, Bart’s past threatens the family he’s built, especially the fragile bond with his son, Sam (Sammy Dell),” a synopsis of the movie reads. “When hopeful newcomer Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia, THIS IS US) joins the band for their biggest tour yet, he unknowingly brings a renewed gratitude to Bart’s life through their unlikely friendship. Bart soon discovers that Tim carries hardships — and secrets — of his own, forcing him to face his past and repair his relationships with Sam and his wife, Shannon (Sophie Skelton), before fame costs him what matters most.”
Just as the true stories behind I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 inspire Erwin, they’re certain to encourage audiences as well.
Read Next: Everything We Know About I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2
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