The Ultimate Happy Ending

There is something in us that wants happy endings. Just consider how many watched the recent marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I have to admit, I was one of them. We watch because we hope that the end of the story will be just as beautiful as the beginning.

Easter is the ultimate happy ending. Indeed, it is because of Easter and the Resurrection that we can go through anything this life has to dish up. And sometimes as we all know, things happen to very good people that are just not fair. I was reflecting on this as I finished the book of Job today.

If we do not find ourselves in the midst of something we consider extremely unfair, then we know someone who is. It is the lament we hear over and over again, the refrain of our times......"It's just not fair." I can count about 5 people right off the top who I can say this about. You know the kind I mean, good honest people who follow the rules and do the right thing. They work hard.....love God and their neighbor, sacrifice for others and life just seems to dump on them.

When I was back home my Mom told me of her friend, Yvonne. A hard working woman who works as a checker in the local market, Yvonne is struggling to raise the two kids still at home. She has to leave a 12 and 15 year old alone after school because she has to work. She worries because they are starting to give her grief by rebelling. Her husband left her and offers no financial help, though he is very well off. He sees them every now and them and plies them with expensive gifts and then they ask their Mom why they can't have this or that at home. She recently wanted to buy her older daughter a TV set and was going to use her tax return to do it. Then she got a letter informing her that there was a mistake in her refund and she actually owed more than the amount she was getting back.

But Yvonne will be alright.....She would be the first to tell you because she knows the Lord is able. She knows the tomb was empty that day. She has the hope of the resurrection. Because of that, we are able! We know the ending of the story and it's a good one.

Job knew it too........

And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

If you are going through hardship today, remember Easter. You can rejoice because He is not in the tomb anymore, He is here with you......There is an ending to our story that holds tremendous hope, and because of this, we can go on. We can it make it because we know what Job figured out.

God is in control, and the ultimate victory is ours in Him.