It’s an honor to have my friend, Melissa Schlies share with us today. We took a crazy AMAZING trip to Houston last February with our mutual friend, Jess. We got to experience one of the most powerful Beth Moore conferences together to date. LIT 2017 has bonded us forever.  After that trip, Melissa wasn’t just Jess’ friend- she was my friend, too.

Melissa is a writer, blogger, and life coach who is passionate about helping people become whole and healthy leaders. She loves coffee, books that make her think, and trying new recipes. When she isn’t enjoying any of these things, she can be found hiking or traveling with her husband. Please enjoy her post, and read more writing on her website: http://www.melissaschlies.com/

Have you ever faithfully watched a show, season after season, only to be terrible disappointed by its finale? That happened to me and my husband last year. To be fair, we missed watching one of the earlier seasons, but for the last three or four, we were “in.” The main character was one we could root for and the storylines were intriguing—until the last seven episodes or so.

Halfway through the last season, the story changed and the main character started to do all these things we couldn’t root for. The writers of the show knew they only had a few episodes left, and it seemed they had an agenda. When we finally got to the last episode, they had taken this character down a dark path, and there was no turning back. When the credits rolled, I remember looking at my husband as if to say:

“That’s it?”

The show was over. We weren’t going to find out if the character succumbed to a corrupted fate, or was able to redeem their story. It was all done and, I felt a little devastated.

Now, I know not all shows can end like Downton Abbey or Parenthood, where you get a glimpse that all the characters you know and love are going to be “ok.” But I think the endings that are always the hardest to take, are the ones without hope. The ones where the end overshadows all that was. The ones that leave you reeling a little, even though you know it was just a TV show.

I think these finales are so difficult to take, because we all want good endings—not just for our favorite characters, but for ourselves. This desire became tangibly real to me, about five years ago, when I left my job. I walked away from my career in ministry due to some painful circumstances. And without another job to immediately step into, I felt the full weight of my loss. Not only had I given up a job and community that I loved, but my whole sense of calling was put into question.

In many ways, it felt like my story was over. The credits were rolling, and I was done. Only just as Jesus wasn’t finished when they took Him down from the cross, He still wasn’t finished with me. Though it’s been five years and at times I still feel the sting of that loss, He has shown me over and over that my story goes on. My calling isn’t cancelled. And even better things are to come.

Today, I am thankful that my story isn’t finished. And that no matter how dark things may get, my life is in the hands of the God who redeems. If you are in a dark place, know that your story isn’t over, and that God’s plans for good in your life will never be cancelled.

#thankfultoday