Sometimes I feel like life is a little bit like watching a really good movie.  When a new circumstance presents it's self, it's like the opening scene.  You are excited about the prospect of this movie, all of your friends say it is incredible and your thinking "wa-hoo, it's only just begun!"  Then, as the movie progresses, you notice stress creeping in as the characters meet with complications, unexpected road blocks, misunderstandings based on bad information that threaten to end the leading characters perfect romance and your thoughts begin to turn to "hurry up and end!  Resolve the conflict!".   You even glace at your watch to see how much longer you think it will take the movie to resolve and bring about the moment that educes swelling music and happy heartbeats as all turns out for the best ... just in the nick of time.

Isn't it much the same in our lives?  Ecclesiastes 7:8 says "The end of a matter is better than its beginning." I'm pretty sure we could get some serious amen-age on that one, and I'm certainly not here to argue the point.  The end IS always better than the beginning.

When the rain began to pour from the heavens and God shut up the door to the ark, don't you think Noah's heart swole just a little?  "God did what He said He would do!"  Don't you imagine that when the angel showed up, told Abraham to "Stop!" and revealed the ram in the thicket, Abraham's heart beat with relief and in humility lifted up grateful sighs of relief? "God proved Himself faithful as I obeyed Him!"  What about when the people of Israel turned to see the Egyptians drowning in the very same sea they just crossed through on dry land?  "Our God is faithful!  He did instruct Moses to lead us out of Egypt!  He will protect us!"

And yet, it wasn't the end of the matter that the men and women in Hebrews 11 are listed for.  No, in fact the chapter opens like this:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  THIS is what the ancients were commended for."  (Heb. 11:1-2)

It's what we do when the plot thickens that counts.  It's when nothing seems to add up and you are glancing at your watch wondering how much longer this will last before the Lord brings an end that matters.  These are the moments where we are called to "not throw away our confidence ...to persevere ... for we aren't of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (Heb. 10:35,39)

Not to say that displaying this attitude is always easy.  Especially for those of us who serve in ministry, who are called to be leaders to a generation of future leaders, as we are often the ones who wind up staring in these nail-bitters.  It is true that the end is in fact better than the beginning but it is in the middle that our faith becomes sure and our hope is taught to be stayed upon God alone.  So, as hard as it may be right now, as thick as the plot is, as many unexpected twists have presented themselves may we hear the call today ...

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Heb 10:23

For, it is in the middle that we live out what we teach our girls: that God is who He says, that He is faithful, that He will protect and provide for us, that He will not disappoint, He will never leave us or forsake us.... That victory is on its way.