“A man on earth needs our help.”
“Is he sick?”
“No, worse, he’s discouraged.”
It’s a Wonderful Life, the timeless film of the 1940s, touched the hearts of millions. Narrated by Clarence the angel, it follows the life of “small-town hero” George Bailey. The film speaks about life, love, and despair and purpose. It reminds us that in our darkest moments, there are people praying for us so that we might “live again.”
George Bailey always dreamed of leaving his small town to travel the world. However, his dreams come to a halt when his father dies and someone must take over the family building and loan company. George spends his life working to build his community, being generous, and helping people afford homes.
But when a mistake is made with the funds for the company, George realizes he might face prison time, shame, and disgrace. Hopelessly, he stands on a bridge, contemplating jumping.
In George's darkest moment, he encounters an angel who helps him see what he cannot: what life in the town would have looked like without him there. Through this new lens, he sees what he had was more valuable than what he did not, and that his life held inestimable value.
“Strange isn’t it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” said the angel Clarence to a despondent George.
“I want to live again,” was George’s prayer when he realized that living this life was far better than not existing at all.
God brings people into our lives to help and encourage us when it is hard to encourage ourselves—to pull us out of deep waters because we are not called to walk through life alone.
If George wasn’t around his brother would not have lived. He saved his brother's life. One might argue that each person has saved someone simply by loving them.
When you sit and talk with a friend on a dark winter day; when you make someone laugh; when you phone someone just because you are thinking about them; when you stay with the friend who just lost their loved one, even though you don't know what to say—you might not always see it, but when you love, you can help someone out of a dark place.
“You see, George, you really had a wonderful life.”
It’s a Wonderful Life speaks to a truth sometimes hard to see in everyday life: that we are loved and have a very special place in this world and in our communities. My prayer is that this Christmas season, you never forget that you are the person someone needs right now. You truly do have a wonderful life.
About the Author
Isabelle Brown is a writer from Brampton, Ontario and a student at Redeemer University, where she is a reporter for The Crown. Her non-writing interests include painting and sketching.