Many remember with fondness the classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life, recalling the many heart-warming episodes that occur in George Bailey's life. The movie expertly captures the story of a man with great ambitions, who wants to travel the world and do whatever his heart desires.
Then circumstances arise that tug at his conscious and forces him to rethink his priorities. Instead of traveling the world, George settles down to raise a family and manage the family business, Bailey Brothers Building and Loan.
Life isn't easy, but George and his family were happy, until a costly mistake threatens to ruin everything. George thinks the world is crashing down around him and he thinks to himself, "I'm worth more dead than alive."
He even goes on to say, "I wish I'd never been born."
George gets his wish and is then shown how the world is without him in it. What surprises him in the dream sequence that follows is how much a single person's life can change the course of the world. In the end, George repents of his desire to commit suicide and embraces his life with renewed vigor, understanding his unique role in the world.
Your life is worth living
The movie is a great reminder to us all that we are George Bailey. Sure, we may not manage a family business, or even have a stable family, but that does not deny the fact that our life is worth living.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God" (CCC 1700). Our worth is not based on how much money or friends we have, but on the reality that God created us.
We are children of God, created lovingly by a compassionate Father in Heaven, who sees the value of each and every person.
St. John Paul II commented on this in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae:
The life which the Son of God came to give to human beings cannot be reduced to mere existence in time. The life which was always "in him" and which is the "light of men" (Jn 1:4) consists in being begotten of God and sharing in the fullness of his love: "To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn 1:12-13).
It is true that life can be difficult, and we may think that we have no affect on people, especially if we are confined to a hospital bed with a terminal illness.
Yet, the beauty of suffering is that we become Christ for other people. Jesus himself said, "I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me" (Matthew 25:36).
When we become sick or disabled, we are given the gift of being Christ in the world. God knows when our time is done on this earth and when we have affected the most number of souls. It's not up to us to take control of the situation and resort to euthanasia or assisted-suicide to end our life prematurely. We don't know how God will use our suffering for the benefit of everyone around us, and so its not something we should try to determine ourselves.
George Bailey thought he was "worth more dead than alive," but by the end of the movie, he realized that was false. His life mattered, even though he couldn't see it. He was even given the chance to be "Christ" to other people, as they ministered to him and "clothed" him in his greatest need.
We need more movies like It's a Wonderful Life to break into lives and shake us to the core. We may not be able to see God's plan, but that doesn't mean we should give-up. Above all things, trust in God and let him decide when your story will end.
