The Best is Yet To Come

High school, for me, was a long time ago. For you it might have been more recent or perhaps you’re more years removed than I am. But I don’t believe any of our stories ended there. Whether we are exactly where we planned to be or so far from our adolescent dreams that our high school self wouldn’t even recognize us now, those days were just a starting point.

Maybe for you high school wasn’t anything spectacular; maybe it was traumatic or something you barely survived. I don’t believe your story ended there, either. And, really, in the big picture of our lives, graduating high school is just one of many milestones we pass over time.

Going to college, getting a job, being fired from a job, getting married, getting divorced, having kids, losing loved ones, moving away, getting the diagnosis, buying a house, getting a degree, winning a contest, finishing a race, starting a business – our lives have dozens of big moments and new chapters, hundreds of beautiful and terrible milestones, and everything in between. And at each of those points, our stories may have changed or pivoted or been stretched in some way, but they didn’t end.

Do you feel disappointed by what you’ve accomplished this far?

Did you think you’d do more or be different at this point in your life?

Are you afraid that you missed your turn, that you’re wasting your potential, that your best days are behind you?

Friend, I promise that’s not true. Your story – the one written by the Author of life, the Creator of the world – isn’t finished yet. No matter where you find yourself today, no matter what makes up your backstory, no matter how many failures or successes you’ve experienced, no matter how many milestones you’ve reached, you have so much more to look forward to. You’re just getting started! And God has promised that He will never stop working in us and through us.

I don’t know who might be whispering lies into your ear today. I don’t know what your specific doubts or fears are, what makes you feel most self-conscious, what you’re most afraid of hearing from a stranger or a friend or yourself. But I know this: You are not a failure, and you are not a disappointment. You are just getting started, and God isn’t finished with you.

Your best days are to come.

Dear God, Creator and Author of every story, thank You for writing a story just for me. Thank You for being an omnipotent Creator, the One who knows every possibility, every turn, every path. Thank You for never giving up on me and for pointing me toward a new story when the one I’ve been following comes to an end. Thank You for using me in Your grand plan! Please protect me from insecurity that my story might be over, and open my eyes to every opportunity You are placing in front of me, every chance You want me to take, and every change You want me to make. Please guide me, God. I love You and am so grateful to be one part of Your greater story. Thank You, Lord. I love You. Amen.

This is an excerpt from Journey to the Cross: Forty Days to Prepare Your Heart for Easter, from the (in)courage community. If you are enjoying this series, you can purchase the book to experience forty days of encouragement and guided Scripture, reflections, and prayers.