Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he? -Clarence
It’s Christmas time and tis the season for Christmas movies and specials. Thanks to cable, you can see everything from Rudolph in claymation, to Frosty the Snowman in animation, to Christmas Vacation, all in one evening. Last weekend, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was on and due to some type of Christmas miracle, my sixteen-year-old, was not only home on a Saturday night, but willing to watch a movie in black and white, made in 1946.
It had been a long time since I watched it, and she and I stayed up and watched it together. Suffice it to say, they really don’t make movies like that anymore. Like almost everyone else who has seen it, the line I remembered most is, “Teacher says, ‘every time a bell rings, and angel gets its wings.” It’s an iconic line and central to the plot, but there was so much more that jumped out at me this time.
There’s a little of George Bailey, the leading character, in all of us..
George Bailey knew what he wanted to do from a very young age and he worked hard to get it. He wanted to get as far away from his tiny hometown as soon possible and see the world. He saved up every nickel for college and a degree that would make it happen. Yet, circumstance after circumstance occurred, to keep him planted right where he was.
Have you ever been there, wanting something so desperately, but is always seems to be just out of your reach?
Time and time again, he put the happiness and welfare of others above his own. But, he was not alone. God sent him a woman to love and support him and together they made a family and changed the little town around them with their selflessness and generosity.
But, bad things happened anyway, like they do at times, for all of us. There was a dark force, named Mr. Potter, in town that wanted George gone and due to a simple accident, which had nothing to do with George, $8,000 went missing. Potter took out a warrant for George’s arrest and he thought he had at last won.
George prayed for God to help him and right after praying, he was punched in the mouth. He assumed God wasn’t listening or didn’t care about him. Have you ever been there?
But, God, who is always faithful, was listening and at George’s lowest point, where he was thinking of killing himself, God sent him an angel. The angel wasn’t what George expected, but then God rarely acts in ways that we expect.
The angel, Clarence, gave George the opportunity to see what his world would have been like if he hadn’t been born, if he hadn’t been there to perform all of the selfless acts of kindness. His little home town would have been dark and bleak without his influence. He was so moved by what he saw that he begged to be born.
And he was. He was so thrilled to be alive that he didn’t care if he went to prison. Meanwhile his wife had called on the hundreds of people he had helped over the years and they came in droves to help him. It was a tearjerker.
George Bailey reminded me that we have no idea how many people we have helped and can help along our journey. We have no idea what kind of difference we can make or have made in people’s lives. George Bailey is a reminder that God is always working, always present, and always listening.
God loves us and He wants to use us to change our world in big and small ways. There’s a little George Bailey in all of us. Perhaps you needed reminding today.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂