The End of the Story...

Reading Revelation is confusing at times. I think I am glad I don't know ALL about how the world will end though. I am relieved God decided NOT to explain EVERYTHING to my little pea-sized brain. It would overwhelm me. I think I am not alone in that because God did decide NOT to reveal or disclose every detail to John in the visions He gave John.

I admit this is a change for me. I was such a control freak that I would read the end of a novel BEFORE starting it because I just could not stand the suspense. That is pretty pathetic for an English teacher to do, right? Right!

Also, I would fast forward to the end of movies rented if the suspense was just too great. I just had to know the ENDING!

You see if I knew the ending was sad or traumatic, I could chose NOT to read or watch.

What if, though, you knew the ending to your life and yet had no way to change or leave the situation?

Revelation gives glimpses of the end times for mankind and for this earth. It is not pretty. Such sadness and destruction awaits those who refuse to love God. Even those who do love God will experience death unless raptured first.

While reading Revelation I realize I have struggled the past three years and even quite lately with the glimpses of the end of life I had in seeing my parents die. The aging process for each of them was painful. Chronic heart disease for my father and Parkinson's for my mother put an end to the many simple pleasures they enjoyed with each other and family members. My dad had to learn to rely on others for help, something it seems the Depression and WWII generation folks did not like to do. They had a self-sufficient spirit.

I tell you, Dear Reader, that after seeing my parents die, I felt the end of the story had been spoiled for me. I often thought with fear, "Will this be my own end? Will I be in a nursing home, striving to get attention for help to go to the bathroom? Will I yearn for a visit from someone who is busy with kids or work or pleasure? Will I not be able to read the Bible because of failing eyesight? Will I beg for someone just to take me out of the house that can become my prison for an hour...to shop...to the store...to church? Will I depend upon someone to bathe me like a child? Will I...."

I even have thought....all of life seems to be waiting for the next bad thing to happen. We live in a fallen world, and the in between times are really the good times in between bad news. Bad news is the norm of this life.

Yes, very depressing thoughts. I can tend to bend that direction all too easily.

Thank God for Revelation though, and Matthew, Mark, Luke, John....The ending my parents experienced is NOT their ending. There is no end to any human being's story.

The death and destruction in Revelation is not the end of the Believers in Jesus! Believers in the end times will join my parents. My parents are living forever in heaven with work, meaning, health, and most importantly the love of Jesus.

We will not get out of the fallen world easily, I know. Aging is not fun. When I get depressed though, I will remember the last book in the Bible, Revelation.

There is no ending of our story, only a TO BE CONTINUED in heaven.

How sure are you of where your story will be spent after time on earth? I pray you join me in the to be continued version with Jesus.

For His Glory,
Gretchen