Happily Ever After

It’s that time of year again, the Hallmark Channel is showing back-to-back Holiday movies with those so predictable final kisses, more often than not under mistletoe or gently falling snowflakes.

Don’t you love them?

I can’t get enough. I love a Happily Ever After.

I’ve read books and seen movies with sad endings. I’ve even written a story that has a sad ending, but never fear there will be a sequel, and there will be a happy ending. This is one of the reasons I love writing and reading sweet romance. And I know I’m not the only one. How else could Hallmark keep two channels filled with movies with happy endings?

My husband says he can’t understand how I can watch them always knowing how they will end. First, I remind him that he watches the history channel which also has predictable endings. And second, I tell him it’s about the story, the twists and turns, but always knowing that it will end with that happy moment. (And usually a kiss—Ahhh.)

It is part of our being to want things to end well. And y’all, I have some good news.

Heaven is the ultimate happy ending. No matter what we do. How badly we mess up. We will have a happy ending because we have Jesus. Perhaps even better, our happy ending can start right now. We don’t have to wait for this one. (As y’all know, I’m not a fan of waiting, so this is my favorite part.)

Our eternal time with Jesus starts the second we surrender our lives to him. So even during trials or loss, we still have that eternal hope.

But it must start with our decision to surrender to God’s will. Yes, you might survive this earthly life without surrendering, and probably will do okay. But don’t you want to thrive.

If you’re struggling to trust God and surrender, maybe it’s because you don’t really know Him. And seriously, would you trust your life with someone you don’t know?

I challenge you to get to know God and be obedient to his guidance. Then be patient but wait with bold expectation as His plan unfolds. However it unfolds. Open your hands and surrender it all to Him.

I bet right now, some of you are thinking who has time for another Bible study or quiet time. There are only a few weeks until CHRISTMAS, and I can’t even get a shower in peace. I mean really who has the time for that? We’re busy. Trust me I totally hear you. I mean surely God can speak to us in our dreams if we can just get an extra hour of sleep, and then we’ll be more rested and better able to serve him. Bring on the Angel Trees.

Sounds good. But I’m sorry that’s just not how it works. We must spend quality time with God—preferably awake if we want to have a transforming relationship that will fill us with peace and joy.

Carve out some time, even five minutes, but be warned, soon you won’t be able to miss this special time, and you’ll want to make it longer. Spending time in prayer and scripture is the only way you can really know Him. It is not just about learning the rules, so we can be good little Christians, it is about being obedient to his commands, so we can show Him our love and know his revelations for our lives.

We can experience a Happily Ever After every day. Friends, let us “fill our minds and meditate on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learn, what you hear and see and realize. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Philippians 4:8-9) Ahhh …

Finally, as it says in Corinthians 15:57, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That’s what I call a happy ending, and now, I’m ready to sing Joy to the World!