Turn the Page

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer.29:11)

Like most people my life is a storybook. There is a beginning, a middle, and then there is the end, with a whole lot of pages in between. I had nothing to contribute in the beginning, the middle became my learning experiences, and the end will be determined by, if I walked in wisdom from the things learned in the middle of my story. Life can be full of twist and turns, highs and lows, good and bad. Times of sitting still or times we are on the move. Comical or serious, guess work, clockwork, does anything work? I believe for most people, and I would like to reiterate the word most, because I realize it does not apply to all, I believe the latter years to be a bit more comical than serious. We’ve already done the majority of our stressing over choices like; schools, home to buy, marriage, raising kids, how to keep up with the “Jones’s,” funny when I think about the things and people we worry about comparing ourselves too. Now I certainly cannot deny there are serious days, real concerns, and hurdles to get over, that is life to, but as we age we tend to have a different perspective about things than we did in the middle of our story. The younger me was a true believer in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The older me, nearing the end, sees grace or ignorance depending on who or what, just being honest. Which brings me to being honest, younger people don’t appreciate honesty as much as older people in my opinion. I am prepared now to hear the truth, nothing but the truth, so help me God. Younger me, “Just lie to me, I can’t bear to hear the truth.” The younger me didn’t want to be lectured on what’s right and what’s wrong, the older me gets annoyed at wrong doings and tries to right every wrong. The younger me was okay with what I considered “fire insurance” rather than a real relationship with my Lord and Savior. Now, He’s the first one I talk to when I wake up and the last one I talk to before going to sleep. As you can see a lot of pages have been turned in my storybook. I believe or at least pray that I have another chapter or two still left. Right now I’m on a page that the things I am doing are bringing glory to my Heavenly Father and for the first time in my life I can say with all certainty, I am loved, I am valued, and my story matters. What chapter in your story are you on? Is it time to turn the page? Do you have any idea how your story ends? You might be thinking, how is it that I know my ending is going to be okay? The answer to that is easy, it doesn’t end. I have been promised an everlasting life by the One who conquered hell and defeated the grave. My story just gets better and better, turn the page.

I can’t end today’s story without offering an open invitation to all who are reading this; you are welcome to come and be a part of my story. Jesus is the ONLY way to get there. If you don’t know the end of your story yet and would like to, just say this simple prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I confess that I am a sinner, and I believe that Jesus you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I ask you Jesus, come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I repent of my sins, and I trust in You alone for my salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10)

If you said this prayer I just want to say to you “you have turned the page and now you know the end of your story.”