Living The Wonderful Life

Merry Christmas to all! As Christmas is happening around the world, I have an interesting thought for you: Imagine your life did not exist. Imagine there is no record of your life nor does anyone know who you are. Would the world be different? Would your absence be vastly deafening? This grim hypothetical state I just described is one that is often referred to, but rarely grasped. This was recently brought to my attention as I watched the holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time. (I’m a laggard for watching memorable movies.) 
In this movie, the character, George Bailey is going through a rough time wishing as if he never lived. He then sees the world without his presence as everything has drastically changed. The lives he once knew as happy and cheerful were sad and gloomy. Small details that he never even considered were different in a negative way, because he realized this world was never touched by his influence or his presence. 
They say, “Presence is the greatest gift.” At Christmas, we always wonder what we should get our loved ones and friends, but did you know we can give others a far more greater gift than Wal-Mart, Macy’s, and even Santa can give? This gift is called being Present. I’ve met lots of students who stood in need of a parent being present. I’ve met couples who long for their spouse to be present. I’ve seen friends who are desperately looking for someone to just be there for them and be present. George Bailey had to realize that his life really mattered and his absence revealed that His presence was too influential, too critical, and too important to waste. In that same token, your life is too influential, too critical, and too important to waste as well. 
This Christmas I challenge you to ask yourself, “What would the world be like without your influence or impact?” You will find that your life is more influential than you know. Imagine this Christmas if a loving God chose to be absent and not sent His son to be born. What a terrible state we’d be in had he not sent His Son. But thank goodness, He did. When we choose to be present, understanding the gravity of our impact, and living with intentional influence, you’ll see that we are truly living The Wonderful Life. Merry Christmas and Enjoy the season! 

#TheWonderfulLife