Waiting for the Happy Ending

Choices. Life is full of choices. Every day there are choices, large and small. Every day that passes gives you a greater legacy of past choices, past decisions. Some turned out to be good, some turned out to be bad, some a bit of both, and others you’re not sure of yet. But all those choices have played a part in making you what you are and bringing you to the point you’re at right now.

Here are a few important principles that I find helpful to keep in mind in thinking about the past and what has brought each of us to where we are today.

Your future isn’t limited by your past. No matter what decisions you have made in the past, or what others decided for you, and what point you’re at now, the future is still as bright as God’s promises—one of which is “Nothing is impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20), and all things are possible if you believe (Mark 9:23). If you’re not where you want to be, there is time to change that!

If some choice you made seemed to have had a bad outcome, or one that wasn’t what you had in mind, remember that you probably haven’t seen the full outcome yet. What seems to be a stone or a serpent may yet turn out to be bread—or a three-course meal of blessings instead![1] As someone once said, “A happy ending depends on where you stop your story.”[2] That principle is certainly true for those who love the Lord; He will work all things out for our good. Or, put another way, “Everything will be okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end yet.”[3]

It’s human nature to look back and regret some of the things you did, or to feel regret regarding things you wish you had done. The Lord understands that and He sympathizes, and to feel regret is natural. But don’t overlook all the good that was also part of your life—the love and joy and fun and fellowship and inspiration that you’ve been blessed with, and the ways you have been a blessing to others.

When you look back on the past, count your blessings, not just your times of “if I only had.” Remember those good, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy things that also make up the story of your life (Philippians 4:8). And thank the Lord for the good decisions you made in the past, and the good ones that He’s going to help you to make in the future—as well as the wonderful future that you’re going to have with Him, both here on earth and forever in heaven!

Whatever decisions you’ve made in the past, remember that the most important ones you made turned out right—your decisions to give your heart to Jesus and then to follow Him! Those are ones you’ll be eternally thankful for!