Endings and Beginnings

via GIFER

A dear friend has been staying with us for the past month.  His wife no longer wants to be married.  It looks like right now, the divorce will be final sometime tonight.  I know that this past month has been hard on him, because he has been living with us.  He has been group texting several of us who are his friends (actually we are his family now!), and he made the statement that he was "so grateful to have all of you in my life.  You are all truly family to me and I appreciate all of you for the prayers and kind words.  I'll get through this and get back to my normal happy self again."

Another friend in our close knit "family" wrote this.  "I say this in love....Sometimes we go through such heartache that we can't go back to a "normal happy self" and that's ok.  I believe that's when God brings out His best masterpiece in us and truly brings 'beauty out of ashes'.  So my prayer for you is to keep seeking God's word and His will and His way and He will take you to a 'better happy self' that only He can do and return to you what the 'locust have eaten.' " (written by Jami.)

I have another friend who is also going through something similar.  We have spent the last two days on the phone.  I have been praying for both of these boys.  This friend wants it to work, as does the first friend.  

In situations like the two above, it is really easy to keep dwelling on the past instead of the future.  All of us do it.  We fill our minds and our words with "what ifs" and "if onlys."  Our Jason does this.  I told one of the boys this morning, that the past is just that, the past.  If we dwell on that it will drive us crazy.  I told him that a long time ago, I had decided that there were certain things I absolutely would not do.  For the most part, I have stuck to that.  If we can decide what we won't do, it makes it easier to decide what we will do.

Of course these boys are sad.  They have given so many years to something they thought would last until "death do us part."  Instead it's the end of that dream.  However, and I have told both boys this, it is the beginning of what can be a wonderful life.  It won't be easy and it won't come overnight, but as the Psalmist says, "weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5.  I love how the Message puts it, "The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter."

So, maybe this part of your life is ending.  The rest of your life is just beginning...and I pray that there are days of laughter ahead for any of you who are suffering right now.