It's A Wonderful Life

Rainy Days: Weatherwise, it has been raining intermittently over the past few weeks. We all have those days that are dismal and dreary, and we feel sort of blue and lonely and weary. In her poetic way, H.S Steiner wrote, "sometimes the road of life seems long as we travel through the years. And with a heart that’s broken and eyes brimful of tears, we falter in our weariness and sink beside the way… In that deep, dark hours of our distress, our unworthy life seems a miserable mess".

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In this posting, I would like to recommend a classic movie entitled, It’s a Wonderful Life. A black and white movie, produced and directed by Frank Capra in 1946, it is often referred to as one of the most inspiring films ever made. It is often played over the Christmas holidays in America.

The Plot: The film takes place in the fictional town of Bedford Falls shortly after WWII and stars James Steward as George Bailey, a man whose attempted suicide on Christmas Eve. As we see in flashback, George Bailey spends his entire life giving up his big dreams for the good of his town, family and friends. But in the present moment, on Christmas Eve, he is broken, suicidal and wished he had never been born. His guardian angel, Clarence, shows him how things would turn out had he never been born. Through a series of flashbacks we see all the people whose lives have been touched by George and the difference he has made to the community in which he lives.

This is one film I could enjoy watching again and again. Truly, inspiring! Brent, thanks for suggesting this movie. The full length movie can be enjoyed free-of-charge on the internet: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4867975537967299162. Click to play but first turn off the background Imeem music (using the "pause" button).



Despite the trials and tribulations, like George, we have to admit that life is worth living... Remember no man is a failure who has friends.

photo: lilac bush in our backyard

God, grant us wider vision
to see and understand
That both the sun and showers
Are gifts from Thy great hand,
And teach us that it takes the showers
to make the flowers grow
And only in the storms of life
when the winds of trouble blow
Can man, too, reach maturity
and grow in faith and grace
And gain the strength and courage
to enable him to face
Sunny days as well as rain,
high peaks as well as low
Knowing that “April Showers
will make the May Flowers Grow”
- Helen Steiner Rice -

For each trial we suffer and every shed tear, Just gives us new strength to persevere, As we climb the steep hills along life’s way, That lead us at last to that wonderful day, Where the cross we have carried become a crown, And at last we can lay our burden down!

photo: Life is Wonderful sculpture at Penn State campus

Shower of Blessings: I will make my people and their homes a blessing. And there shall be showers, showers of blessing, for I will not shut off the rains but send them in their seasons. Ezekiel 34:26

Reflection: April Showers will make May Flowers Grow.

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Reference:

Wikipedia & H.S. Rice (1989) Daily Stepping Stones