"No man is a failure who has friends"

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing

Our family's favorite holiday movie is 'It's a wonderful life'. Set in an earlier time this enduring movie reminds me every year that life should not be measured by dollars and cents, nor by how big our homes are, nor by how fancy are the cars we drive. Just as George Bailey read in the book he opened we learn that "no man is a failure who has friends".

Often, in our grief, we forget this concept. The pain of our loss keep us focused on what we do not have, rather than the blessings we still have. We lament over our unfortunate lot in this life, forgetting to remember that those around us are traveling similar journeys of loss. We forget how important we are in the overall scheme of things. Just as Clarence Oddbody, Georges guadian angel, reminds us after George discovered that his brother had died in a drowning accident  because George wasn't there to save him. 

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" To those who have experienced recent unexpectant losses please remember that your life continues to have a purpose. You may not see the big picture of how this fits in now, but in time when the tapestry is completed God will reveal to you the purpose he has for your suffering and how he will use it in the world around you.

There are those who have experienced the lossof a loved one by suicide and the pain from this sort of grief is at times unbearable. Suicide is one of this countries leading cause of death and something that leaves many victims in it's wake. For those who have experienced this type of loss there is hope and it can be found in this link.  http://www.save.org

It is when loss occurs that we must find reasons every day to keep living and continue doing the things that gives us life. Like George Baily we must turn to our friends for the emotional support we need to get through the pain of our grief. 

No one ever said that recovering from grief would be easy. There will be days that your grief will come at you like the pounding waves of the ocean and there will be days the waves will be gentle like the gentle waters of one of Minnesota's lakes on a summer morn.

God wants to be your guide through this journey. He truly understands the pain associated with your loss. Like the gentle shepherd that he is he wants to guide you through all of the rough patches and bring you out the other side fully recovered and fully healed from this pain.

As I look back on my grief journey I can see that it was the rough patches where there were only one set of footprints, not two. I saw that it was my Lord and Savior who gently picked me up and carried me through the most impossible part of my journey. The Lord will do that with you and one day, like me, you will see the same one set of footprints during the most painful part of your journey. They will serve as a reminder of God's endearing love for you.

Yes, Life is a journey and like George Bailey found out in that final scene of that holiday classic, " No man is a failure who has friends"