The End…endings come around regularly. Endings surround us in many forms; floating across the big screen, on the final page of a novel, to the obituary section of the newspaper, another school year complete, struggles or trials, tying little shoes or tucking into bed, marriages, seasons, contracts, friendships, dessert, and loans. Endings span the extremes from great to horrible. Some might even be avoided if we plan properly, but many are unavoidable in this life. Just as with beginnings, endings bring change. Being aware and preparing, if possible, can smooth out the rough transitions of endings.
At times, the conclusion of something sneaks past unnoticed. If asked whether I remember the last bedtime story I read, I must confess…I didn’t notice when they stopped. Along with tying shoes, reminding them to brush their teeth and a few dozen other one-liners, I just didn’t have to say them anymore. These endings are small, and seldom earth shattering. I do remember once standing in Wal-Mart when my littles were just beyond the preschool phase. A picture book caught my eye and I stopped for a quick read; tears streamed down my face after only a few pages. It was a story of a mom who noticed all the things for which she was no longer needed. Beautiful milestones reached. End of experiences overlooked. The story mirrored my life and all the endings I hadn’t noticed.
Other times we are indifferent or even grateful for the end to arrive. Some movies, books, seasons and responsibilities are like this. They were fine while they lasted, but we could give or take their return. I often say, “I can watch anything once.” Every movie is a story. I believe most stories are worth watching or listening to at least once. Many never need repeated. I laugh at moms who dread the end of the school year while others like me look forward to summers with kids. Then, there are those who are sad when school is starting again and the others who can’t wait. Sometimes my grateful attitude for a coming end is rooted in desiring change. The time has come to move on and the end represents the opportunity for something new.
There are yet other times when endings break our hearts. Dear friends move away, children graduate, great bible study groups finish a book, cleats are hung after years of playing sports, a loved one’s marriage is suddenly over, the premature death of one too young, the torturous list could go on. You have your own list…it breaks your heart just thinking of them. The more we have invested and loved, the more difficult it is to let the ending come. Because of my own experiences, I can empathize in a heartbeat with others who are currently journeying a heart breaking end. The terrain is familiar and difficult! The pain of a breaking heart is never easily forgotten.
Whether you like it or not, endings are a part of life. From that moment in the garden where everything changed, endings were set in motion. The Bible is full of such things:
the end of paradise
the end of humanity—except for Noah and his family—
the end of a unified language
the end of a famine because of jealousy
the end of slavery
the end of a distant God—He dwelt and traveled with His people—
the end of wandering
the end of this leader and that group of people
the end of all those kings and prophets
the end of captivity
AND THEN
the end of His silence…a child was born, “call Him Immanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:23 NIV).”
These ends afforded salvation, forgiveness of sin once and for all, joy, adoption, redemption, peace, power and eternal life. The lists here barely show how ends have afforded us great things in return. Oh, that your heart would sense the great things your Father has in store for you, despite the end of others.
Embrace the reality of things ending. Trust our Good Father with what is happening. Know His Words, “It is finished,” do not have to be the end for you. Open your hands and heart to receive His wonderful gifts. All things will come to an end, but that is just the beginning.
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