"It's a Wonderful Life"

The 1946 movie It's a Wonderful Life was broadcast again on TV last night. In it, James Stewart plays George Bailey, a distraught businessman who has decided to commit suicide because his life seems worthless. An angel is sent to rescue him.

This movie is shown on TV at least once every year about this time. And it's great that it is -- its message can't be heard too often: It's the seemingly "little" things that make one's life a success, the little things we hardly notice, the ramifications of which may be huge.

In the last post I talked about interconnections. If a single life form is destroyed, this can in turn destroy an entire ecosystem. Conversely, a species saved from extinction can protect that ecosystem. And similarly, simple acts of kindness, compassion, love can have enormous effects on entire communities and beyond.

George Bailey didn't commit suicide. His guardian angel showed him what a different world -- a very loveless one -- would have appeared if George had not been there.

Many people, like George Bailey in the movie, want to do "big things" in their lifetimes. And again, as for George Bailey, it may appear as though things don't work out that way. How about a change of perspective here? Can we really know what "big" means? The ineffable Infinite: now that's big!

Jesus said, "I of myself can do nothing; 'tis the Father that doeth the work." Trust in the Infinite to do the grand things. Walk with awareness to do what you are called to do, not because you're striving to "do good," but because you're allowing the Father's Goodness to be expressed as your "little" acts of kindness and love.