Skip to the End

(Originally posted on our former blog site on 9/12/2013)

There are many things about my husband that I love - his love for people, his passion for excellence, his willingness to work, his goofy/quirky side, and so on.

But let me tell you just one little tiny thing that I am not very fond of. I am not very fond of the fact that after he has seen a movie he doesn’t want to watch it Ever. Again… because he knows how it ends. 

Seriously husband?  There aren’t enough movies in the world to watch without repeating at least one!?!!

Now I am of a different breed. I want someone to tell me how the movie ends so I can then decide if I want to commit myself to watching it.  

I don’t have commitment issues. I have wasting time issuesI don’t want to waste time with a two or three hour movie that just leaves me anxiety ridden or depressed. Because at the end of it, all I can think of is “what was the point of that???!” Thus the reason I ask about the ending. You are not spoiling anything for me; you are helping me in my decision making.  

And then, once I do know how a movie ends, I can watch that same movie 10 times… in one day.  I went on such a same-movie all day spree in recent years with Pride and Prejudice, and Sleepless in Seattle.  Those movies… those movies have GREAT endings!

Do you know what makes knowing the end so great? When you get to a really dark point in the story that leaves you lost and confused, at the edge of a complete mascara meltdown, you can take a deep breath and remember the ending- that everything turns out alright- and you are left with hope. Questions, yes. Tears, maybe. But above everything, you have hope.

The bad guy is caught, the princess meets her prince, the guy wakes up from his coma… and they find Nemo.  

These are the kind of movies I like to watch. Happy movies. Filled with twists and turns, heartache and loss, but happy nonetheless. Because if it’s not happy then what’s the point?  

These past two months have been very movie-like for me.  Filled to the brim with challenges, loss, hurt and pain as if life was waiting for me to stand up from the last blow to only knock me out again. 

One thing after another, blow after blow, trial after trial.  And every time I think to myself that I should just stay down for a while and let myself be swallowed up by the sadness that lurks around me... and then I remember the verse in Ephesians 6 that says “when you’ve done all to stand, Stand therefore” so I pick myself up. Brush myself off. And brace myself for the next big hit.

I may be exhausted. Winded. Saddened. But I am still here. I’m still standing.  

I am still standing because I know the end of the story. And it’s a great story. I don’t know what the chapters hold from now until then but I know how it ends and that leaves me with great hope.

I have faith in God, I have committed my life to following His lead and because of this I get to remind myself that when this life gets crazy the ending is still going to be really good. And when my natural body does it fact reach it's ending, it’s really just the start of a new book. 

In the next book everything is complete, and everyone is healthy. There is no sadness, there is no pain.  There is laughter and peace and an eternity with God in heaven. 

So when you find yourself in a dark chapter just skip to the end. 

No matter what comes, we win.  

These trials become triumphs. These tests become testimonies. God works them all for our good… if we love and obey Him. (Romans 8:28)

If you are reading this blog and you do not know God, or are far from Him- know that I am praying for you. Not having this assurance is like watching a movie and not knowing the ending.  It’s the worst kind of emotional roller coaster that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Because while it may be worth it for you to risk wasting a few hours here and there on a bad movie, I can assure you that it is definitely not worth the risk of wasting a whole life.

Put your faith in Christ and know the peace that comes from living with HOPE wrapped up in a really well written, triumphant ending.

Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.

(psst. this verse is repeated three times so it must be important! Check out Psalm 42:11 and Psalm 43:5)