Beginnings and Endings
Posted by: randalm <randalm@...>
forthright.antville.org
Barry may chime in later, and, if so, we'll send
his article on to you. For now, chew on this one.
Beginnings and Endings
by Randal Matheny
The year draws to a close. At least one thing we
may be able to finish. 2002!
Reminds me of an online personal essay journal
whose editor asked the question of writers: Which
are harder, beginnings or endings?
I wrote her an almost-four-line response:
HARDER
Why, I'm surprised that you would even ask
Which is, by far, the harder writing task:
To start or end. For all that ply this craft
Agree that, of the two,
One of my great difficulties is finishing all the
wonderful projects I start. Perhaps we need to
revise that old saw that says, "Nice people finish
last," and make it read:
Nice people finish.
All this reminds us of a line from Solomon's
Ecclesiastes, where he got a few things right,
including this idea:
The end of a matter is better than its
beginning;
Patience of spirit is better than
haughtiness of spirit. (7:8, NASB)
Read all the quotes circulating the Internet, and
you'll find most people are more interested in the
ride than the destination. I suspect that's
another diabolical plot to make people forget that
eternity is around the corner.
Sure, I want to enjoy each day as it comes, but my
days are numbered, so I want to look forward to
One Eternal Day. One complete, unending joy.
Well, that's the end of my faith I'm looking for,
as 1 Peter 1.9 says, the result, the outcome,
which he explains as "the salvation of souls."
Mine. And, I hope, yours, too.
-----
Also read online, "Eight Principles of Christian
Ethics," by on congregation's high- and middle-
school groups.
forthright.antville.org/stories/229863/