"To Be Continued"

   From the morning devotional:

"Growing up in the 1950s, I often attended the Saturday matinee at a local movie theater. Along with cartoons and a feature film, there was an adventure serial that always ended with the hero or heroine facing an impossible situation. There seemed to be no way out, but each episode concluded with the words “To Be Continued . . . ”

   I think we all want to know, what is next in our lives? Is God not through with me yet? What is to be continued after this?

   I thought of yesterday at church. The theme of the morning was a short history of our church from its beginning in 1996 to where it is today. One high point in the proceedings was the announcement by one of our long-time members that the debt on the new sanctuary, built in 2008 had been retired.

   As our pastor continued, the theme changed to "What is next for this body of Christ?" You see, we had paid down a pretty big debt in 7 years, some with designated gifts for this purpose, but mostly with the overflow from tithes and offerings. There were a few sizable gifts, but most came from members regular Sunday morning offerings.

   Where would that surplus money be needed now? What should the church do to use it wisely in the way God would be honored?

   It is the same way in life. We can get to a point where circumstances cause us to not be needed to do all the things we used to do, and we wonder "What next?"

   Mayre and I have always been willing to serve at church, and we have been used in a variety of ways through the years.

   But yesterday may have symbolized where our lives are right now.

   We walked into church right after it started, through a side door. We sat near the back, worshipped with the others around us, and then quietly left by that same door into the parking lot, where we got into our car and left to come home.

   A couple of people stopped by the car and spoke for a few moments, but the vast majority of the congregation did not even know that we had even been there. We did not serve, we were just there.

   The question begs: "What is our role now that we cannot do all we used to?"

   One of our grand daughters sent us a picture she had drawn and colored the other day. It showed a road leading off into a sunset sky.

   We are indeed on that road right now in our lives, but we are still on the road, not at the end until God decides. The movie serial has not had its last episode yet. It is still "to be continued".

   What is in that next episode?

   Our personal road may not be all that long but….

   We're willing to be Ready...