Click here
Thank Heaven for Guardian Angels
December 14th, 2009 by Laurie CampbellCome the holiday season, I can’t help but think about George Bailey of Bedford Falls. Otherwise known as actor Jimmy Stewart, George and his townsfolk have become a staple of Christmas viewing as TV and cable networks air what the American Film Institute has labeled the most inspiring film of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, directed by Frank Capra.
George Bailey offers a life lesson to all of us as a man who gives everything he has to family and friends, only to find that he is threatened with financial ruin; thanks to the dishonesty of Bedford Fall’s sleazy slumlord, Mr. Potter. But as George prepares on Christmas Eve to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge, his guardian angel Clarence Odbody arrives to save the day.
Clarence takes George on a guided tour of a sort of parallel universe. He shows George what life in Bedford Falls would be like had George never been born. It’s a pretty grim picture, because George positively influenced, and for that matter saved, the lives of many. The tour is a real eye-opener for George, and it results in a radical change in his attitude towards life. Brimming with new faith, George returns home only to find that his financial problems have been resolved.
I must say, I have a real soft spot for this film and for the character Clarence Odbody, played wonderfully by Henry Travers. As an “Angel 2nd Class”, Clarence can only move up the angel ranks and earn his wings if he is successful in helping George Bailey. I’ve fancied the thought that all of us here at Credit Canada are like Clarence, earning our wings everyday by helping people who are troubled by the financial problems they are facing.
Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for those encumbered by debt. Gifts and all the costly preparations can be cause for worry and even deep depression, rather than joy and celebration. But at Credit Canada, we stress to all those who are troubled, there is always hope. And that hope comes not only in the practical things that can be done to manage finances and perhaps consolidate debt; it comes in the form of a change in attitude towards money and towards life, much like George Bailey’s transformation.
If there is one thing I can impart to the financially troubled this holiday season, it is that life can be far less burdensome when you step back and look at it from a new perspective. Like George Bailey, you may discover that there are wonders yet to be discovered. Maybe all you have to do is contact a guardian angel.
