Blogging From A to Z - X is for Suicide

Welcome to the It's A Wonderful Blog's Blogging From A to Z April (2015) Challenge. For this challenge, I will post every day in April (except for Sundays) about topics related to the Frank Capra/Jimmy Stewart film, It's a Wonderful Life.

X is for Suicide:

Source: http://bit.ly/1Bx2CJt

George Bailey didn't think he could take anymore.

His dreams of travel were shattered. He didn't think he could get out of Bedford Falls. Uncle Billy lost an $8,000 deposit for the family business. He lost control of his emotions in front of his wife and children. He took his problems out on his daughter's teacher. His wife spoke harshly to him for the first time in their marriage.

Potter planted the idea. George went to him for help. Instead of helping him, Potter taunted him with the comment, "You're worth more dead than alive."

George was scared, but he was trying to deal with his problems. He was looking for a way to overcome them. But Potter, being the opportunist he is, kicked George when he was down and proved to be the proverbial straw. That straw broke George.

He leaves Potter, gets drunk, and proceeds to contemplate jumping off of the town's bridge.

The letter X can be a harsh letter. It is often used to cross things out, to remove mistakes, to negate what has been done. Suicide crosses out life. It negates what It's a Wonderful Life refers to as "God's greatest gift."

The problem is that those who contemplate suicide view themselves as mistakes to be removed. They view their personal mistakes as unrepairable and unforgivable. All of that is untrue.

I'm going to tap into my Christian side for a minute, so if that's not your thing, skip to the next paragraph. An X turned on it's side is a cross. Jesus died on a cross to pay for our sins. Sure you made mistakes. We have all made mistakes. But Jesus paid the ultimate price for it so we wouldn't have to. And he was fault-less. That's what love and sacrifice is all about. God sacrificed our son so we wouldn't have to sacrifice ourselves. George is sent a guardian angel - he is saved from suicide - because he prayed. I encourage you to pray, as well. Just like George, ask God to show you the way. He will.

If you aren't a Christian, you can pick it up here:

Whether or not you are a Christian, TALK to somebody. People like Potter are in the vast minority. Someone out there can help you. Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Life can be hard but it's worth fighting for. So FIGHT!

Source: http://bit.ly/1jvLQPe

Blogging From A to Z - I is for Intercession

Welcome to the It's A Wonderful Blog's Blogging From A to Z April (2015) Challenge. For this challenge, I will post every day in April (except for Sundays) about topics related to the Frank Capra/Jimmy Stewart film, It's a Wonderful Life.

Intercession:

Source: http://highlandsumc.com/news/prayer-study-to-begin-
wed-april-30-from-7-8-p-m/

If you have watched the film It's a Wonderful Life, then you already know that it opens with prayer. It seems that the entire town is praying for George Bailey. We don't know why, but we eventually find out the reason.

And boy, does he need those prayers. They are called prayers of intercession. Very simply, it means "praying for others."

More specifically, "Intercession is prayer that pleads with God for your needs and the needs of others. But it is also much more than that. Intercession involves taking hold of God's will and refusing to let go until His will comes to pass. Intercession is warfare -- the key to God's battle plan for our lives. But the battleground is not of this earth. The Bible says, 'We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and spiritual powers in the heavens above' (Eph. 6:12)." (http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/cbnteachingsheets/keys-intercession.aspx)

This is what the people of Bedford Falls are doing for George Bailey. They are pleading for God's help in order to save George from his struggle and despair.

In response to those prayers, we see a debate occur in Heaven. We see Joseph and Franklin (See previous entry about the letter F) discussing the wisdom of sending Clarence, the hapless, wingless, simple-minded second-class angel.

It takes some work, but Clarence succeeds and George returns home. The prayers of intercession, as well as George's own prayers, have been answered.