Thursday, April 15, 2010

It's not the end of the story

About two weeks ago I preached on Good Friday that the cross wasn't the end of the story. It would have looked like it to the people at the foot of it 2,000 years ago. In the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' the crucifixion happened, then everyone got on a bus and left.

But as we all know, the tomb is empty. It wasn't the end of the story.

It made me look at so many times in my life when I thought "This is the end of my story.

Whether it was being chased by two red belly black snakes when I was six, attacked by a brown snake at ten, stung by a piece of box jellyfish at fourteen, nearly being shot by my brother at fifteen, finding Dad dead at fifteen, being bitten by a redback at nineteen, having a nervous breakdown at twenty four, Elouise nearly dying at twenty eight, being hounded by a Bullshark in the surf at twenty nine, or getting a $300,000.00 tax bill at thirty seven - it seemed like the end so many times.

But it wasn't. Every one of those were the chance at perspective on a new beginning.
My cup isn't half empty - it's half full.
In fact, in Psalm 23, it refers to the cup running over.

And that's what I've learnt. No matter what I go through - God is good.
No matter what I endure - I am always better for it afterwards.

Those things are nothing - I am sure I will face a zillion challenges, setbacks, failures for the rest of my life. I have four kids for goodness sakes.

But like it says in the Angry Anderson song 'Bound For Glory' the best is yet to come. Each challenge is not the end. It's an opportunity for God to show what He is best at. Jesus promises that all who follow Him are bound for glory.

Our failures and the disasters that befall us are not the end of the story.

They are a chance for God to paint over the old canvas and start a new masterpiece.
In conjunction with our free will. With our hand on the brush. We get to choose the colours and whether it's a landscape or some abstract work.

I'm excited about that. Will you choose to see the cup as half full or half empty.