The Beginning and the End
31/08/2013 12:02
Often, as I gaze around the world around me, blog ideas effortlessly pop into my little head. God graciously sends an idea (or two… or three) into my thoughts and says to me ‘There! Wouldn’t that be good to write about, Anusha?”
Mostly the words flow and it’s easy to turn an idea into a ‘story’. The sentences form without much effort (like an excited squirrel dashing up a tall tree or an exhuberant dog chasing a cheeky cat)! I love the feel of the computer keys under my fingers as I type them out. Easy peasy! But there are other occasions when that changes. During those times, turning an idea into a worthwhile blog is not easy. I know what I want to say but it takes concentrated hard work to do so. I labour over it; like an amateur pianist playing Beethoven’s Sonata in C minor or like an amateur Tennis player trying to hit a perfect Ace against a professional.
Take last week for instance. Remember my blog entitled ‘I saw you’? I was excited at the idea. I was in a hurry to share it with the world. But when I tried to transfer the idea from my brain to the written word – it didn’t happen at once. It became a mammoth task. I worked on it all week – editing a little here, chopping a little there, dicing, slicing, mincing, juicing, pruning, refining… yes, it needed the complete treatment – till finally it turned into some semblance of a presentable blog for your eyes to gaze upon.
I was almost satisfied. But not quite. It was still too long. I’d begun with 3 pages. I managed to chop it down to an acceptable 2. But before I knew it, it lengthened again to 2 ½ pages. Sigh. Would I never get it right? It was then that God whispered in my ear. ‘Check the spacing’. I did. Oh! I’d written it double spaced. (Not 1.5 spacing as I usually do). With one click I changed it. Voila. The 2 ½ pages instantly became exactly 2 pages long. Perfect. I’d done it. But not alone. With God’s timely help. Thank you God!
It taught me afresh that there is only so much I can do. Without God’s help I actually can’t do anything. I know that. Every so often God gives me a gentle reminder of the truth. A nudge. A failure. A fall. Or all of it. I’m given a fresh challenge when I discover that what’s expected of me is far higher than my capabilities. Then I remember the truth. And grasp how much I need Him.
All the time.
Every day.
Without exception.
The Bible calls Jesus the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. He was before anything else existed. He started it all. He is also the End. He is the first Bookend and the last Bookend. The stories of our lives occur between the two Bookends that are God.
Today, I’d like to call Him the Beginning and End, but in another way too. You see, I couldn’t begin to write my weekly blog without the ideas He pops into my brain. I could not finish them either – as I discovered afresh last week. I might sometimes be tempted to think I know it all or may imagine that I can do it all. The truth is that I can only write today because He has blessed me. With life. With hope. With forgiveness. With a story to share. A mind to think with; a heart to ponder His truths; with fingers to type out my thoughts. With His Holy Spirit. With His Presence. With His passion.
It is Jesus who gives me all of it. God gifts me with every idea in my head. He completes each story I write. He is also the Alpha and the Omega of my life. He gives me each breath I take. All that I have comes from Him.
Are you in a difficult place right now? Trying hard but not succeeding? Reaching for the moon but finding it too distant? Desiring change but unsure how to obtain it? Why not go to Him? Why not ask Him? He is the first and the last. His treasure trove of ideas are always filled to the brim. And He loves to give anyone who asks of Him.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19