Life Lessons According to "It's a Wonderful Life"

In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," the main character George Bailey is on the verge of committing suicide. He has given up hope. He feels lost and alone and as if he has failed at each of his endeavors. How often do we feel the same way?

In the movie, George is given the gift of seeing how life would be without him. He gets to see the profound impact he has on the people in his community and on the people he loves. There stands a very good chance that God will not give us the chance to have the same experience, and yet how many of us have felt as lost and abandoned as George? To feel so awful and terrible inside to just want to give up is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. And yet so many people in this world do feel that way. Where is there relief? When do they get to look on how much worse this world would be without them? Your answer is as good as mine. I do however know the one that comforts and who gives meaning, and who "wipes away every tear from our eyes," and that is Christ the Lord. It is truly better to know Christ and His mercy than to receive one thousand visions about how things would be, because in the end that can only do so much for you. In the end, knowing the impact you have truly isn't enough. Knowing you are loved by God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, that is the true comfort. That is grace.

God is with each and every one of us. Even when we don't think or more importantly feel it. He is always there, in us from our baptism, until the day we leave this earth. Also importantly, he gives us other humans. God created Eve so that Adam would not be alone, and on the flipside of that, since Adam was there, Eve was not alone either. Humankind is meant to be here for each other comforting each other at all times. Just as George Bailey's community came together to support him, so too should all of us come together to support each other. We don't always see what is going on inside of other people, ones who seem to be fine may be truly hurting. Don't be afraid to tell other people that you love them! Don't be afraid to say what they mean to you. And don't give up, don't ever give up. Its the American spirit, its what dying coach Jim Valvano spoke about, its what Josh Groban sings about, its what we are supposed to do all our lives: Don't give up. God will get us through it all, and he will put us where we need to be in life and surround us with those we need to be surrounded by. Praise God for this.