When I was seven years old, I heard the word epilogue for the very first time. I remember it so clearly because we were all at my great-grandparents’ house where we were most Sunday evenings, and I was watching a show called FBI.
In this show they dramatized the unfolding of a story from an actual FBI case that had already been solved. And invariably, in the story there would be a person introduced who didn’t seem to fit into the narrative or an event that seemed to take the story far away from where I thought it was going. Oftentimes, it would be hard to understand why this or that event was even included in the story at all.
Then at the end of the show, they would always have one last scene called the epilogue. In that epilogue, they would tie together all those loose ends of the story that were previously confusing and caused the story to make sense I would have such a huge sense of satisfaction by the end of that epilogue because that little girl part of me just wanted the story to make sense.
So let’s fast-forward to today. I am still very much in love with epilogues, but now I look at them from a different point of view—God’s point of view—not an easy thing to do! I share biblical narratives and personal stories of faith in an effort to help you see that your epilogue is worth the journey. If you are wondering why some awful thing had to happen in your life as part of your story or why you have had to grapple with some horrible thing that has plagued you for most of your life, be encouraged that the story unfolding in your life reflects something God wants you to know about Him. And in its unfolding, God will reveal things to you that change your perspective, tie up loose ends, and give you closure. You’ll eventually wonder why you ever doubted His goodness in the first place.
Armed with the certainty of what an epilogue is and examples from God’s Word of how He has used them in the lives of His people, the key to living successfully is to live in your epilogue now—before it has fully unfolded. This is the flagship of true, authentic faith—having confidence in what is not yet seen.
