Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. (1 Chronicles 16:9)
I caught the tail end of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on television last weekend, which tells the classic story of George Bailey. From a young age, George always wanted to go to college and travel the world, but he selflessly postponed his dreams time and time again. When a serious financial crisis came his way, George was on the verge of suicide when his guardian angel, Clarence, stopped him. Clarence slowly coaxed him back to life by showing him how miserable George’s hometown of Bedford Falls would have been had he never been born. When George realizes suicide is a mistake, I never fail to get teary-eyed, as the entire town rallies around him and gladly donate the money he needs.
So many emotions build up in me whenever I watch that movie. It brings back fond memories of my Dad – and all the times we watched it together as a family on Christmas day. It reminds me of the precious value of life, and inspires me to want to make an impactful difference in the lives of those around me. But most importantly, it reminds me of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what life would have been like for all of us had He never been born and sacrificed His life for us on the cross.
May the Lord bless you and guide you this Christmas season, and may we always be mindful of His wonderful life!