Not to be melodramatic or anything, but do you realize one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time is essentially about a man seriously contemplating suicide?

I’m talking about the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart as the main character, George Bailey. On Christmas Eve, George stands on a bridge overlooking the water when his guardian angel appears and decides to show him what life would be like if he hadn’t existed.

The interesting thing is, this was Jimmy Stewart’s first acting role after he fought in World War II. He had flown 25 combat missions and returned home with PTSD. He initially refused the role because he wanted to do something more lighthearted, but there were no other offers at the time, so he accepted the role and excelled at it.

At times, it seemed as if he was drawing from his own post war grief to inform his character. During one scene, he is sitting despondent in a bar when he exclaims: “I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way, God…” At this, he started to cry.

That moment wasn’t in the script.

Stewart later reported, “As I said those words, I felt the loneliness, the hopelessness of people who had nowhere to turn, and my eyes filled with tears. I broke down sobbing. That was not planned at all.”

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I wish we could see the way our lives ripple into others, like a pebble in a lake. Sometimes I feel like a gypsy in life, but even tumbleweed throws seeds out as it bumbles along. Our existence is meaningful, whether we realize it or not. Our lives naturally web out into the lives of others and brings pain or joy, delight or despair, depending on how we choose to live our lives. We get to decide.

At the end of a hard year, it’s good to remember that as challenging as this year may have been, these moments are only temporary. As we rewatch those old Christmas favorites, I hope the light and beauty of what this season represents breaks through. Life is a gift. Take heart friends! Emmanuel – God with us – is not just a cute slogan for the holidays; it’s an everyday reality.