One of the movies I enjoy during the holiday season is It’s a Wonderful Life. Watching it this year caused an outpouring of emotions in the final minutes, tears streaming down my face.
The seven years included numerous moments filled with pain, loss, and hopelessness. George’s experience of feeling like there is no way out but death hits close to home. There have been times where I stood on a metaphorical bridge, staring down at the water.
My journey over this time has resulted in the loss of some friends, the discovery of new friends, and the realization of who my truest friends are. People have come in and out of my life, some leaving, others passing through, and those who remain. I have been reminded, as George was, “No man is a failure who has friends.”
Some of the changes in my life resulted from my choices—good and bad. Others were brought on by forces outside my control.
These last seven years contain many journeys through The Valley of the Shadow of Death as well as times of growth, joy, and celebration. It has been a bumpy, often challenging trip.
The last couple of years have proven to primarily be a time of healing and rebirth; I find myself incredibly grateful for those who have stood by me through it all or entered my life during this time.
Not every story is the same and many don’t end up neatly wrapped like George Bailey’s. The happy ending might appear in a moment, but it’s just as likely to take time to unfold, feeling like it may never come.
Some of my losses can never be undone. People who have died. Relationships which have ended. Career paths where the door is closed. Many of you have likely experienced similar losses.
When all seems lost, remember resurrection only comes after death.
George didn’t experience resurrection until he realized the deaths—literal and metaphorical—his absence created. Seeing the small but significant ways his life had meaning offered a new perspective.
Watching this movie again reminds me how often we make a difference and don’t even realize it. We cannot measure our worth based only on our limited perspective; our view never offers the full picture.
Advent invites us to sit in darkness, remembering it isn’t forever; light is coming. The divine is constantly in the business of birthing something new into the world, even when we may not see it.
When I was overwhelmed and surrounded by darkness, a handful of friends, my therapist, and my spiritual director encouraged me to keep moving and not lose hope. They didn’t peddle toxic positivity; they sat with me in the pain. But they also reminded me, even when it feels like all hope is lost, something good is coming.
During that time, my spiritual director offered the following words from the prophet Habakkuk: “For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3 NRSV)
If you find yourself in a season of darkness, don’t lose hope. That’s not meant to deny or minimize the pain of this present moment, but to offer the encouragement to keep going, even when you may not feel like it.
For those not in one of those season, consider how you could be a beacon of light in someone else’s darkness. Like those who carried me through my darkest hours, you could be the friend someone needs to keep them going.
Life certainly can and will be messy, painful, and difficult, but when we look outside ourselves and seek to make a difference, it can be a wonderful life.
Breaking Into Peace 