Listen to the PodCast of "What Bails Out Baily?" with Rev. Karyn Bradley
Rev. Karyn Bradley continues the story of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a powerful teaching tool. This movie is still so meaningful because of how it touches us and the layered message it holds for us of hope and love in its many forms.
Today Karyn spoke about what drove George to the edge, why he didn’t want to have been born. ($8,000 was missing at his bank and he was being audited.) The circumstances in his life were overwhelming and finally in his desperation he turns to God and prays, “Show me what to do, give me a sign.” His situation didn’t change immediately and in fact it got worse and he felt his prayer didn’t work. We sometimes think that prayer will be answered in a certain way and look a certain way and like George we get discouraged when that doesn’t happen.
But George’s true prayer comes later in the movie and it is “let me live again.” It is a prayer that asks to be changed at depth. His circumstances didn’t change but he was ready to face them. It is about prayer changing us within so that no matter what the circumstances we are able to cope. We know the truth of who we are and we are steadfast in our knowing that God is within us. We look for how God is expressing not only as us but how the answer to our prayers might be right in front of us. We let go of appearances and see, really see.
Prayer takes us to a different place so that we can see with different eyes and respond to every situation with an open mind and an open heart. Then, we can know that it truly is “a wonderful life.”
May we all be open to an abundance of God thoughts.
Posted on
Thu, December 22, 2011
by Rev. Margaret Flick