FINISHED STORIES

Every now and then, I think of story ideas that seem like the first few threads of a resplendent tapestry. And there have been times when I've actually sat down and either written or typed out the first few lines or paragraphs of these stories. But in the end, I always come up against obstacles that abort these ventures: scarce time, lost momentum or the discovery that what seemed like an interesting story idea was anything but.

It's so damn frustrating, but I often feel that if I had more time, I could eventually overcome these obstacles and knock out at least one story that would absolutely captivate at least one reader on this planet.

I encountered this scenario again tonight and was met with the same cold wall.

But tonight, I was taken a step further:

I wondered what it would be like if I could have eternity to myself. This would give me the "time" to pursue and conclude every single story my fickle mind conjures up. Then I wondered what it would be like if I had eternity plus perfect sensibility, because this would mean that there would be no wasted "time" -- that no story my mind thought of would be fruitless and worthy of eventual abandonment, that every story my mind thought of would be satisfying and worthy of finishing.

The next jump is fairly obvious: I thought of God, whom Peter called "the Author of life" and whom C.S. Lewis referred to as "the author."

God is eternal, unbounded by time, relentless, almighty, good and perfect.

So, I am led to believe (forgive my casual wording):

• all story lines he pursues are good, with only satisfying endings in store
• he will inexorably pursue every thread he creates, until they all meet each other in himself -- the bigger picture, the deeper beauty
• free of "time," he will give every story his undivided attention, so to speak
• he is "able" to ensure that all stories brought forth will end well, no matter the plot twists -- in fact, he is "unable" to do otherwise

In a harsh world where so many good things come to naught, where so many precious things are ended too soon, where so many bad things are pursued to dead ends, where our time is so severely driven to secondary things -- in this world, knowing the attributes of my Author is tearfully comforting.

***

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6 ESV)

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (John 13:1 ESV)

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV)