Forrest Gump Star Wars: A New Hope Jaws…
These are some of the movies that, whenever they come on TV, I have to watch. I don’t know how many times I have seen each of these masterpieces, but they number in the dozens. And for the record, I am terrified of swimming in anything that is not a pool, for fear of getting attacked by a great white shark. I know, I know, they don’t live in lakes, but don’t try and convince me of that, because it won’t work. They are there. My other favorites come around at Christmas. The holiday season is like groundhog day in our house. I must see several of the same movies every year, and in some instances, if it is on more than once, I may or may not watch it multiple times. These include the The Sound of Music (yes, you read that correctly, because how else are you going to know the names of the musical notes; and where else are you going to see a bunch of children running around in hilly pastures wearing clothes that used to be curtains), Charlie Brown Christmasand the holiday show of all shows The Year Without a Santa Claus. For weeks, everywhere I go I have the Heat/Snow Miser song in my head…it’s awesome. At least that is what I tell myself. There is one other Christmas movie that is required viewing in our house…It’s a Wonderful Life. It is a great movie. I know there are lines of people who would disagree with me…they are wrong, I am right.
In spite of the greatness of the story, the thing that has always bothered me about this movie, though, was the ending. What happened to George and his family? Did they move from that drafty, old house? You know, the one with the wooden finial on the stairs that always pulled off whenever George grabbed it. What happened to the grumpy, old Mr. Potter? Was he ever arrested for stealing the Bailey Savings and Loan’s money? And speaking of the old Savings and Loan building…did George continue working there? Did he ever decide to travel the world? As you can see, I have a lot of questions, and no answers. So, I have to hypothesize. The ending in my head goes like this. All of George’s friends and family gave him a lot of money and bailed him out, as is witnessed in the movie. Potter is arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to 5-10 years. His employer that showed him the growing neighborhood of homes being financed by George’s bank is the star witness for the prosecution. George does do some traveling around the world with his family, but then always returns to Bedford Falls and the Bailey Savings and Loan, because it is here that he can do his best work…helping people. Supporting the small community. Just ask Violet, the highly questionable young lady, who George helped by giving her money to leave town, leading to Mr. Potter threating to spread the rumor that George and Violet were having a fling together.
But Violet isn’t the only one George helped. There is the Martini family. George financed his mortgage when crusty old Potter refused. And of course, all of the individuals at the Savings and Loan who show up when the stock market crashes, including little, old Ms. Davis who only wants a few dollars to get by. You see, George made it a habit to help those in need, and in the end, they showed up big time to repay his kindness. You may know a George Bailey. You would be counted as blessed to have one in your life. Someone who would give you the shirt off their back. They would break down every obstacle to get to the person in need.
“I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was homeless and you gave me a room. I was shivering and you gave me clothes. I was sick and you stopped by to visit. I was in prison and you came to me.” These words are a gut punch. People in these situations are desperate for someone to give them anything to lessen their suffering and discomfort. We need people like this in our world. People who will show up and provide relief. People like George.
People like Narda van Terwisga. Narda was the oldest daughter of a typical Dutch family. After completing grade school she was employed as a secretary, as she was a quick typist and fluent in Dutch, English, German, and French. In addition to this, she also managed a school for teaching and typing. Yeah, I know, nothing earth-shattering. But like Paul Harvey always used to say…here’s the rest of the story.
Narda lived in perilous times, and in a very perilous location. The Netherlands in the 1940s to be exact. And in case you don’t remember what was going on in the 1940s in Western Europe, here is a recap. Germany had pretty much invaded and taken control everywhere. Hitler had big plans of lebensraum, or a vast expansion of territory, and no country was going to stand in his way. By 1943, the United States was embroiled in the war in Europe. That same year, Narda founded the underground resistance group Vrije Groep Narda (translated Free Group Narda). She disguised herself by altering her appearance and using numerous aliases. Her team of trusted undercover personnel operated as couriers for classified material and helped Jews and others escape across borders into safe zones. They also rescued crew members from downed Allied aircraft and helped them return safely to their units. They operated in several locations, forging identity cards and food ration sheets.
Things were always tense, but on September 29, 1944, one of the resistance fighters betrayed the group to the German Security Service. They arrested Narda, other resistance fighters, and two Allied pilots hiding with them, eventually executing all of them in public to dissuade others from joining the resistance against the Germans. All except Narda. No one knows why, but she didn’t share the same fate. However, she spent several months in various concentration camps before being rescued from Ravensbrück by the Swedish Red Cross. She had been tortured and suffered from physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her captors.
After the war, she worked, with the support of various foundations, to provide recovery for those who had fought so valiantly in the resistance. For her help in rescuing Allied pilots, she received the U.S. Medal of Freedom and the British King’s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom. She was also awarded the Dutch Order of the Bronze Lion and honored with a Resistance Memorial Monument.
We need them. People like George. People like Narda. And people like Paul and Kim. Paul and Kim…two individual who probably won’t ever make it on the big screen, or have books written about (or maybe they will…). They didn’t fund houses for people. They didn’t risk everything to rescue Allied forces behind enemy lines. But they did help a local community when any need presented itself. A place to go when power went out? Check. A hub for collecting things for those in need? Check. A drop off point for toys for kids whose parents had nothing to give? Check. A place of respite for Veterans facing all kinds of inner demons? Check. Ground zero for organizations fighting Veteran homelessness? Check.
Challenges come and plans change. That is Paul and Kim’s story right now. But one thing is certain. When a community need arises, they will most assuredly be there, offering any help they can. Because, like I said, the world needs people like them.
Faith, Leadership, and History 