Chapters

I don’t know how I could be more than halfway through a book before realizing that it doesn’t have chapters. But I was, and it doesn’t. It happened this morning – I kept promising myself that I would ‘get some work done’ when I got to the end of the chapter. However, as much as I was enjoying it, the chapter just never seemed to end. So I flipped the pages to see how much longer I could delay ‘getting some work done’ -- and I flipped all the way to the end of the book. Now a normal person would have figured it out at this point, but I had to check, so I started at the beginning of the book and sure enough – no chapters.

Maybe this is one of the reasons I’ve been taking my time on this book. I like chapters -- beginnings and endings. Those elements help me make sense of life. But before you think I am a hopelessly linear thinker, you should also know that I have at least two books on the go at any given time – and sometimes up to 5. I really need to finish the chapterless book so that I can pass it on to a friend. I know she’ll enjoy it – chapterless and all.

Where am I going with this? It’s about chapters in our lives. I’m so glad our days are organized that way. For my liking, some of those chapters could have been eliminated altogether – or if they had to be in the ‘book’ – couldn’t God have made them really short? Of course there have been other chapters where I wanted to put down some deep roots and stay awhile.

Last night I was reading words written by Dr. James Dobson. He tells about the last time he prayed with his father. His dad said, “Lord we know it can’t always be the wonderful way it is now, but we thank you for the love we enjoy today.” Just a month after praying this prayer, his dad had a heart attack and later died. And a chapter closed.

All chapters have beginnings and endings. Even when I'm enjoying an especially wonderful chapter, I know at some point, it will come to a close. But I can enjoy the time I’m there – and know that when it ends, another begins. And so on for the rest of our lives...

One of my favourite passages of scripture is:

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven…

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Thank you, Father, for the chapters of our lives.
For order and reason and purpose.
As this year comes to an end, and another begins,

help us know Your love in all the chapters and
hold fast to You in those times that don’t seem to make sense.
You are the author and perfector of our faith,
a loving Father who wants what's best for us.
Help us to trust our days to You.