Chaplain’s Column

Your Story is Not Final

Wow, what a time the holiday season is. All the preparation of decorating, cooking and finding just the right gifts. A wonderful time with family and friends, gifts received and gifts given. It is full of excitement laced with moments of insanity. And before we even know it Christmas day has come and gone. Soon after Christmas Day, the lights will slowly disappear, the kids will be back in school and life will be back to its normal rhythms.

I can’t help but wonder what it was like for Mary and Joseph after the first Christmas in Bethlehem. The excitement of angels and shepherds have passed and Mary is now holding her baby boy after an evening of a labor of love. It has been exciting for them and the baby Jesus but what now. What is this really about?

As the holidays fade away and a new year begins, I want to encourage everyone that Christmas is not the whole story. As you look into the new year with dreams and challenges ahead and you evaluate where you are today, maybe you’re asking what now? Sometimes when all you see is part of the story, it creates more questions and confusion than answers.

Dan Miller tells the story, ‘Did You Lose Your Horse Today?’

“Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, because he owned a beautiful white horse. People offered fabulous prices for the horse, but the old man always refused. “This horse is a friend, not a possession,” he would respond.

One morning the horse was not in the stable. All the villagers said, “You old fool. We told you someone would steal that beautiful horse. You could at least have gotten the money. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”

The old man responded, “Perhaps. All I know is that my horse is gone; the rest I do not know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say.”

After 15 days the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses back with him. Once again the village people gathered around the old man and said, “You were right - what we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.” The old man responded, “Perhaps. Once again you’ve gone too far. How do you know if this is a blessing or a curse? Unless you can see the whole story, how can you judge?” But the people could only see the obvious. The old man now had 12 additional horses that could be broken and sold for a great deal of money.

The old man had a son, an only son. He began to break the wild horses. Unfortunately, after just a few days, he fell from a horse and broke both his legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and said, “You were right. The wild horses were not a blessing; they were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs and now in your old age you have no one to help you. You are poorer than ever.” But the old man said, “Perhaps. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. We have only a fragment of the whole story.”

It so happened that a few weeks later the country went to war with a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he had two broken legs. Once again the people gathered around, crying because there was little chance their sons would return. “You were right, old man. Your son’s accident was a blessing. Our sons are gone forever.”

The old man spoke again. “You people are always quick to jump to conclusions. Only God knows the final story.”

The Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Philippi with these words, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” And I want to encourage you that Christmas is just the beginning of the story and it is not final. And your story is not final yet.

Whether you are excited about what is ahead in 2020 or dread the thought of another year, I want you to know that your story does not have to be final and only God knows the final story. Your greatest challenge could become your biggest blessing. Trust Him as you look forward to the New Year knowing He is faithful to complete the story he has begun in you!