I love a good story. I like getting lost in a fictional world filled with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. Give me romance and mystery. Provide me with adventure and astonishing developments in the storyline.
In my own life, however, I greatly prefer a predictable plot. I would like my life to have the pace of a well-crafted story of my own choosing. No unexpected plot twists for me, please. Just pleasant days filled with laughter and friends. Years of successful work and close family ties.
Unfortunately real life isn’t like that. The plot that I planned out for my time on earth simply hasn’t materialized. Every chapter has had surprise twists. Events I expected to happen never did. Things I said I would not do under any circumstances became the very things God asked me to embrace.
Recently life delivered an unexpected development in my life tale.
My husband has been diagnosed with lymphoma.
Because he’s the guy who never takes a sick day, we never saw this part of our story coming. This bombshell of a plot twist has left us staggering, wondering which direction the story will follow now.
We all want to think that once we know Jesus, the Giver of all good things, that the tale of our lives will be part romance, part feel-good family tale. But the setting of our story is still a fallen, imperfect world. And Jesus warned us, “In the world you will have tribulation” {John 16:33}. In other words, we are guaranteed unfortunate plot developments and tragic turns in the narrative.
Thankfully, we are also guaranteed something else, Jesus went on to say, “But take heart; I have overcome the world” {John 16:33}. If we trust in Jesus, we are promised a happy ending. Because we know the Prince, He is sure to save us in the end.
My trouble comes when I think that the happy ending is right now. When I forget that every fairy tale ends with light and happiness, but in-between the princess has to live with evil stepsisters or mean ogres. That life holds toxic apples and poisonous spinning wheels.
The happy ending doesn’t happen until . . . the end.
Somehow this simple realization has helped me tremendously. When I become depressed and disappointed in the way my life is going, I remember I can’t expect life to be perfect in the middle of the story. Sometimes the pages of our stories will be filled with financial downturns, difficult relationships, and cancer diagnoses.
What I can expect is Jesus, my Prince, to walk with me through the adventure of life. I can expect Him to either protect me from the ogres of this life or give me the strength to endure them.
I can trust that, because Jesus loves me, the story He is writing for my life is the best one possible.
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Related: Frame this inspiring art print and place where it can be read often: “You are loved and beautiful and braver than you even imagine.”
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Thank you for these insightful words, Sharla. I’m very sorry for the twist you and your Husband are fighting. I have lifted you both in prayer; for healing, for strength, and that your continued faith may be blessed. Your words hit home for me. I am 36 and the past 3+ years have been full of surgeries, hospitals, Dr’s, etc. After much time I have been approved for disability. A hard pill to swallow. I know the Lord has this in His control and the end has not arrived yet. The blessings over been given along this journey, however, speak to His graciousness. You put it perfectly in your fairytale analogy.
“The happy ending doesn’t happen until . . . the end….What I can expect is Jesus, my Prince, to walk with me through the adventure of life. I can expect Him to either protect me from the ogres of this life or give me the strength to endure them.”
This is exactly what He has been doing. I will be sharing this with a close friend. She suffers physically and also mourns the loss of her mother. I’m grateful for you and your encouraging words.
Much love and blessings, Lauren
Sharla
This is my life. We’ve had one thing after another thing within our 24 years of marriage. And this last statement is so true, protect from the ogres, or give the strength to endure. As I’ve learned to trust Jesus more, I see the blessings and the grace woven throughout our marriage. The hard, hard times enable me to see with eyes of compassion for another person. That in and of itself is a gift, to be able to hear with my heart, or another person hear mine with theirs. This speaks life and light into a down deep difficult stretch of life.
This post is beautiful!
Joanne
As Elizabeth Elliott used to say: “You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms”. Jesus will hold you and comfort you. I will pray.
Thank you so much for this heartfelt post. I too am depending on Jesus for a difficult twist in my marriage. My extremely outgoing husband turned into the opposite. I know the medical world would diagnose some form of dementia. But I am asking the Lord what He would have me pray and declare in this situation. Unfortunately, I did go the route of anger and self pity until the Lord opened my eyes to see this in me. Trusting His fire to burn all of it down to the roots with nothing left but Him, His love, His wisdom, His grace. At this point in the journey, I am finding it difficult to communicate with my husband and desperately need the Lord’s grace to get through it. I am finding myself able to make more of the choices God’s way and less of the complaining where I was stuck. God’s Word commands me to be thankful in ALL things and He will work ALL things our for the good.
Gail,
So sorry for your husband’s illness. I pray the Lord will heal Him and bring back a little of the old hubby you once knew. Dealing with this is hard and only God can help get you through each day! I pray for strength to endure this trial! He will see you through this!!
Blessings 🙂
Thank you. I receive the blessing
I absolutely love love LOVE this. Wow. Thank you so much for this perspective. “The happy ending doesn’t happen until… the end.” Yes. What a wonderful reminder. Thank you for sharing your twisty-turny story with us. May God give you and your husband all the courage and hope and wisdom and joy you need for this current season of challenge. Praying for you…
You write so well of the space in which we live… the one between Christian platitudes and our cause for genuine hope. May God grant courage and faith for the days again. Thank you so much for writing the truth that our Christian lives on earth aren’t filled with the assurance that all will be well — here and now — but instead in the Kingdom that comes.
Sharla,
Prayers for you and your husband! May God bring His healing touch to your husband’s body!!
Loved the analogy of the fairy tales. There is no happily ever after till the end of story. Middle of the story are plot twists and turns. Life has thrown me lots of twists and turns. My mother had dementia that turned to Sundowners and was bed ridden for two years before passing. Now my dad has dementia, sundowners, paranoia, etc. Last year my aging dad had many medical issues that caused me stress and work angst. I had to quit my job this year to be more available for him. We had to put my dad on hospice (July 17, 2015). My hubby almost lost his job (CT) July 2014 but was able to keep working for same company. He has made two more job changes since then. So many twists and turn as you can see. I know God has been there through all of this!
Blessings 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am so sorry for your husband’s diagnosis and all that you will go through. It is so comforting to remember though that the middle of the story has struggles but we know with certainty how our story ends! This was what I needed to hear today and I can’t thank you enough for it.