Carry It Through

The colorful lights are still strung throughout small towns and big cities. That Christmas ‘feeling’ might prevail for another day or two. But the cardboard, seasonal gift wrapping, and probably those nobody-reads-them instructions are ready to be discarded - as if they never existed.

Pa Bailey: “All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.”

This is to say, only those things that we do for others, including the souls we try to rescue, will pass from this earth to the next. In other words, love is the only thing that transcends heaven and earth.

Clarence the Angel: “Every man on that transport died. Harry wasn’t there to save them, because you weren’t there to save Harry.”

Right! I remember now. It’s the every-life-matters argument. This concept has been bantered back and forth for years now. Black lives, Blue lives, and All lives matter. But this quote hits deeper. Whatever we do, someone's life is changed. Every decision, every action, has a consequence, good or bad. We are reminded that those decisions and actions are ours to own.

The above quotes are from the 1947 version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The comments are mine, of course.

Maybe you have watched a few Christmas movies over the past few weeks. Some of them are considered Christmas Classics, and others are new to the scene. We look for our favorites every year. But what draws us to seek out these "I’ve seen it a thousand times " movies?

These productions beckon to us in a deeply personal way. They speak to a longing deep inside our hearts. We see the good that’s possible. We identify with each protagonist fighting to preserve sharing, selflessness, and a willingness to give of ourselves. We embrace familiar dialogue as characters who, wrapped in the holiday spirit, encourage generosity, peace, and love.

What follows are several movie quotes. Just for fun, the quote sources are not shown. This gives you the chance to search memory banks looking for the words, actors, and movie titles. Good luck!

Read them slowly and then write your own thoughts and feelings. Connect your thoughts with today’s world and circumstances. Perhaps you will find a self-determined guide for a better life while keeping this Christmas Spirit alive all year. You could even consider using this to formulate your New Year's Resolution.

If we all did this, I can only imagine the staggeringly significant effect we would have on the lives of others next year.

When you're done, share your thoughts if you’d like. (Connect Here)

Movie Quotes

1. "I'm not just a whimsical figure who wears a charming suit and affects a jolly demeanor. I'm a symbol of the human ability to be able to suppress the selfish and hateful tendencies that rule the major part of our lives. If you can't believe, if you can't accept anything on faith, then you're doomed for a life dominated by doubt.”
2. "Look Doris, someday you're going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn't work. And when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile".
3. “Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing.”
4. "A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child."
5. "God bless us, everyone."
6. "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. Maybe it just needs a little love."
7. "It's not what's under the Christmas tree that matters, but who's around it."
8. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."
9. "It’s Christmas Eve! It’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more."
10. "That’s the one good thing about regret: It’s never too late. You can always change tomorrow if you want to."
11. "A true selfless act always sparks another."
12. "The day we stop looking for people to blame is the day we begin to find our way."
13. "Kids just need a little kindness and a little love to grow into something special."
14. “Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.”
15. "It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags."
16. "You mean they tied him up and put him in a feedbox? Where was the Child Welfare?"

Although the next one isn't a specific quote from the movie, I included it anyway. Barbara Robinson - Author of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,

“[Mary and Joseph] looked like the people you see on the six o’clock news — refugees, sent to wait in some strange, ugly place, with all their boxes and sacks around them. It suddenly occurred to me that this was just the way it must have been for the real Holy Family stuck away in a barn by people who didn’t care much about what happened to them. They couldn’t have been very neat and tidy, but more like this Mary and Joseph (Imogene’s veil was cockeyed as usual, and Ralph’s hair stuck out all around his ears).”

NOTE: It occurs to me that this would also work with music! What drives us to anticipate and then raise our voices in song when hearing our favorite Christmas Carols? I’ll leave you to explore this on your own.

Note: If you get stuck, I’ve included the Movie answers here.

Happy New Year!