“Nothing Left?” Blog #103

Sad, depressed, filled with anxiety - what calms me down?

Angry, confused, hard to get it right - where should I go?

Troubled, overcome with guilt, still riddled with remorse?

One of my all time favorite movies always revisited by me over the holidays. Now the

holidays have come and gone. Yet, January has a hint of unhappiness cleverly

connected to it. There is still just me, all of me with so many parts of me, I still need to

work on. Regret just does not magically disappear. I love to use movies as “good

examples” of where I can go and learn some powerful lessons. It’s so easy to keep

beating myself up over things that have happened in the past, the past. Gone, done and

never to reappear again.

This movie is one of my all time favorites.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” opens on Christmas Eve 1945 in Bedford Falls, New York. The movie

is about a troubled man whose prayers from his family and friends have now reached

Heaven. George Bailey is a middle aged, handsome man who personally has it all. He

has a beautiful devoted wife, healthy, lovely children and a beautiful home. However, the

impossible dream he has always chased has always eluded him. Then suddenly, the

worst possible plight, huge money problems surface on Christmas Eve. This is way too

much for George to handle anymore. He’s done trying to fix things, find money, or be

content with the life he has. Even though it is Christmas Eve, George decides to be done

with living. Yet, first he puts his hands together and prays for help. He has now run out of

his house on a snowy blizzard night, leaving his crying family behind him.

Now George Bailey is finally ready to end it all…..

Suddenly his thoughts of suicide and jumping off of an icy bridge coincide with Clarence,

who has just jumped head first into the icy cold water and George hears his cries for help.

George has forgotten his own decision to jump and end it all because now he has

jumped in and saved Clarence’ life! Although unbeknownst to George, Clarence Odbody,

is George’s Guardian Angel (and we all have one!).

After both men are dried off a bit and start talking, George passionately confides to

Clarence stating, “I wished I never was born”. For quite awhile George does not believe

Clarence is his Guardian Angel. Then, when Clarence tells him, “Well, George your wish is

now granted.” I will now show you what life would be like if George Baily never existed.

George reluctantly starts believing him. Clarence goes on to personally take George

back “in time”. He shows him exactly what his life would have been like “had he never

been born”. What life would be like had George “never touched other people’s lives”. Then

Clarence showed George what the world would be like “If George had never existed”

This movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, is considered to be one of the greatest movies of all

time. It is rated number #1 for the the most “inspirational movie created”. (Wikipedia)

Clarence takes George back to when he was twelve years old and shows George where

he rescued his younger brother, Harry, from drowning. This left George deaf in one ear.

George later saved a pharmacist from acidentally poisoning a customer because George

had seen the pharmacist put the wrong medicine in the bottle by mistake. Later on in life,

George gave his younger brother his own money so his little brother Harry could go on to

college. The angel, Clarence, shows George all the sacrifices George had made to do

good in his life, and never realized this. At the end of the movie, George is begging,

pleading, crying out for his “current life now”. He wants to go back because now he

appreciates all the things in his life that he has constantly taken for granted. He has a

sudden “awareness of all his blessings”.

Every single one of us on earth are here for a reason. God put us here for a reason!

My own thoughts of “the way I wished my life would go” and “the way my life went” cause

me now to smile. None of us realize the lessons we learned, until we have traveled far

down a painful path. Suddenly understanding after experiencing sadness, loneliness and

grief, how much we have grown internally.

Regardless of where we go or how we choose or where we wind up, it’s important for me

to understand that I always had the tools I was suppose to have at that time, and nothing

more. This way I do not beat myself up for “what might have been”.

Constantly I try to remember this important adage;

“When the student is ready, the teacher appears”.

Only in the knowing I must search, study and pray. I must ask for discernment and

direction and discipline. THEN a door opens to a brighter, more truthful life giving me an

understanding heart. There is no other way out for me. This is my Daily Direction

Routine, Always.

I have talked in the past about letting go. The past now gone. I bring HIS love into my

Heart. This protects me. Seldom do we realize how rough we are on ourselves.

We can be, and are, our own worst enemy. Our cell phone and people pressure coupled

with the persistent gnawing of “never good enough” stops now. I must learn to accept

and appreciate and acknowledge exactly where I am with a thankful heart. I have spent

my life looking back and that has become tiresome. It is time to find every possible way

to look to my future, be “Present” in this moment. There is something I can do each and

every day just for me. I can walk, I can read, I can pray. And above all, I listen as I pray.

As I’ve looked at those around me with past judgement, it is now time for me to say

“There, but for the Grace of God… go I”. I need to remember every moment just how

precious life is. My life is precious and I have purpose. I have a place in this world and I

am loved. I will be here on this planet as long as the Dear Lord wants me to live. I must

find a way each day to bring balance into my life. I believe I am goodness, I am healthy

and filled with love. So Above all, I believe and accept Jesus Christ my Lord.

I end today with a wonderful poem by Mother Theresa,

“Dedicated to You”

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered,

forgive them anyway.

IF you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives,

Be kind anyway.

IF you are successful you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

IF you are honest and frank, people may cheat you,

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

IF you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous,

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will forget tomorrow,

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough,

Still ~ give the world the Best you’ve got anyway.

You see - in the final analysis, it’s between you and God,

It never was between you and them anyway.

___________________

“Can I pray to look at my life & others, through your eyes only God?”

NOW LISTEN TO SONG FOR TODAY - CLICK PLAY BUTTON IN VIDEO BELOW