Happily Ever After

The infamous happily ever after!  The origin for this phrase is unknown, but we have seen it countless times in fairy tale books we read as children.  Perhaps this is why as adults we have it in our minds when things don't go as planned our happily ever after begins to unravel.  Do you ever wonder where we get our ideas of what determines happily ever after?  This world gives us such a distorted view of what it looks like.  I could go on a rant regarding that; but I will spare you.  You can't talk about happily ever after without starting with once upon a time.  From God's word, we are told our fairy tale begins not with the words, once upon a time but with, "For You (God) created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13  We are children of a Heavenly Father, who prepared each of us to come to this earth at a particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose. This isn't a fairy tale.  Our Heavenly Father knows each one of us intimately. "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7  He hears us, He watches over each of us and He loves us with a bigger love than any of us can imagine. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16  He is the giver of our life/our once upon a time -complete with our own story full of ups, downs, adventures, hardships, greatness, smiles, pain and love.  Have you ever thought what it might be like to be able to sit down and watch our own story?  Well, the angels in heaven and God are watching from above.  They are pulling for us to not make the bad choice like walking down that dark alley alone.  They are frustrated when we don't recognize that the One who really loves us is right in front of us desiring for us to come to Him.  They are also sitting on the edge of their seats waiting and watching for the final chapter of our story and praying for a strong ending.  We are all making our way to the finish line, the end of the story.  "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:25-27  

What are you doing for the kingdom while you wait for your ending? Where is your story taking you?  I understand that, at times, some may look at the life of a follower of Jesus and ask why.  Why attend church meetings or why is it so important to read the scriptures regularly or pray to our Heavenly Father daily? Here is my answer: We need to do these things because they are part of God’s path for us. And that path will take us to our happily ever after destination.  Happily ever after is not something found only in fairy tales. We can have it too! I'm not talking about the things this world labels as happily ever after.  It isn't getting the girl or guy.  It isn't having the house with the two car garage.  It isn't being the most successful person in the world.  It isn't being a famous athlete or entertainer.  If it was, we wouldn't witness the heartbreaking end of the lives of so many successful and famous people.  Happily ever after is when we come to the end of our life and have an incomprehensible peace in knowing where we will spend eternity.  Happily ever after is when we have done everything in our power to lead as many to Christ as we can.  Happily ever after is when we know without a shadow of a doubt that our Heavenly Father/our giver of our once upon a time, has gone before us to prepare a room for us.   "In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" John 14:2  It is available for you, but you must follow our Heavenly Father. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  John 14:6  "And this is eternal life,that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3   "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12  If you don't know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and live your life in obedience to His word, it's time to rewrite the end of your story.  You can call it ever after or eternity - but whatever you call it, it is reality and only you can determine how happy yours will be.  "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13  Thirst for God - study His word, pray, worship, serve and wait on spending eternity and your happily ever after with Him.