I hate endings. When my husband and I were first married, I would often binge-watch a television series only to get to the last two episodes and take a break. Sometimes it would be a break we would never come back from. I left the story unfinished because I didn’t want it to end. Endings are just too sad.
I understand that some things can’t begin unless something else ends. The end of high school makes way for the beginning of college and all the freedoms (and responsibilities) of adulthood. The end of a honeymoon marks the beginning of a marriage. But with some things, there isn’t an after. Sometimes things just end. Period.
I
recently returned from my grandmother’s funeral. As we drove through
Springfield, IL on our way to the funeral service, I was reminded of many “last
times” that I hadn’t realized were “last times” in the moment. I remembered the
last time my grandparents sat in their driveway while I caught fireflies and
the last time my grandmother took me with her to a garage sale. I thought about
our last conversation. If I’d known at the time that I wasn’t going to have
another opportunity to talk with her, we would have talked about something
else. Something deeper. Something more meaningful. I know many of you could
tell a similar story. Everything ends. That’s part of what makes this world so
sad.
But
for those who trust in Jesus, the end isn’t The End. When Jesus was preparing
his disciples for his own ending (the end of one thing, but the beginning of
something new), he told them, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat
falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it
produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who
hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12: 24-25,
NIV). For the Christian, death is an ending. But it’s also the beginning of
something that has no ending. Jesus’ death and resurrection brought an end to
many things: an end to the power of sin, an end to death’s victory and the
separation between sinful man and a holy God. An end to endings. Like the seed
he described to his disciples in John chapter 12, his death put down roots that
have sprouted within the hearts of each one of us who chooses to put her trust
in Him. Every sprout leads to many more seeds. An endless cycle.
My
children came with me to my grandmother’s funeral. During the service, her
pastor spoke of the ways my grandmother had served in their church, including her involvement in
children’s ministry. As I listened, I remembered one summer, many years ago,
when my grandmother shared the gospel with me. But what stuck out in the mind
of my five-year old was when her pastor reminded us that “Heaven is not s place
for good people, but for forgiven people.” My son asked me about that as
we drove home, and I shared the gospel with him. The seed continues.
