Better at the End - Pt 1

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. (Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 ESV).

Last year my oldest granddaughter, Faith, ran cross-country track with her seventh grade team. While she had never attempted this sport, we felt she could do well. She had a natural stride and plenty of endurance. I remember her first meet well. There were the natural jitters and excitement at the beginning. We watched as she lined up on the starting line with over 100 other girls her age waiting for the gun to sound the start of the race. I have pictures of the start. It was an exciting time; however, the picture of her crossing the finish line for the first time was even more exciting. She was nearly as “put together” as she was at the beginning. Her hair was a bit frazzled and beads of sweat dotted her forehead as she pressed toward the finish line. She crossed the line and came to a stop with both hands on her knees, drooping in exhaustion after the two mile run across hills and flats. Her mom and dad congratulated and hugged her. I was very proud. She made it! I rediscovered the truth from the wisdom of Solomon found in our reading today: Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. Think of it. When a new child is born, a new crop is planted, a new project, phase, degree, career, friendship, resolve, marriage, house is pursued, we feel fresh excitement and anticipation. We enter a new season feeling hope about the future. We invest a lot of dreaming, planning, energy, and often money in our beginnings, which explains all the books and videos and coaches offering to help us begin well. But there is not nearly as much help available teaching us how to end well. Probably because the demand is much lower. We typically don’t relish thinking about or planning for endings, because endings are goodbyes. They are chapter closings that often leave us feeling regret, grief, or confusion over who we are and what our purpose is going forward. But the end of a season is often more important than its beginning. When a person dies, we can see much more clearly who they really turned out to be, which is eternally significant. When a crop is harvested, we know what the season and farming diligence actually produced. When a season of life ends, we see, at least to some degree, the true fruit of all our dreaming, planning, labor, and investment. At a beginning, when we’re looking ahead, we envision a possible future, not a real one. But looking back, we see reality with greater clarity. In other words, endings are usually more truthful than beginnings. A review of the day in the evening is more truthful than the caffeinated optimism of the morning’s good intentions. We’re going to look at ending well in the next few days. Today, be reminded that the promise of God is that the end is better than the beginning. We have much to look forward to. That hope is the foundation of our perseverance in the presence of the challenges of our run!