When There Is No End In Sight…

Recently, I looked up “how far away is the horizon?” I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought maybe it would be 30 miles or so. It seems like when you look out over the ocean you can see for miles and miles and miles, but guess what? According to livescience.com, for a 6-ft tall person, the horizon is about 3 miles away. Wow! That’s intriguing. It seems like much farther than that, doesn't it? 

Not diving too deeply into a science lesson, but I also learned that the weather can affect how far we can see as well as the height at which we are standing. That means that our view when walking along the shoreline or the boardwalk would be less than if we were viewing the horizon from a skyscraper. And, if we were on top of Mt. Everest, our sight line to the horizon would actually be over 200 miles. Amazing!

That’s how it is with life too. Our overflowing sink of dishes, dirty laundry, ever-growing grass, stacks of bills and endless emails are constantly in view. They stare at us daily, and their mere presence weighs heavily on our shoulders. There’s a never ending struggle to get things done, right? Sadly, for many of our accomplishments - like balancing the budget, helping a child pass a test, getting through a Sunday – the challenge comes again all too soon. There often just seems like there is no end in sight.

We’ve worked through a lot of changes in the previous months, and for many of those changes there seems to be no end in sight. 

  • When will COVID be something of the past…
  • When will they stop arguing about politics…
  • When will school begin…
  • When will my baby stop crying…
  • When will our health care workers get relieved and refreshed…
  • When will children’s ministry be a reality again…
  • When will disinfectant wipes be available in the stores…
  • When will we experience a routine that seems “normal”…
  • When will we stop wearing masks…

The more I think about the list of “when will,” the more things I can add to it. I’m sure you have plenty of tender spots of concern you could add to the list as well. But, then I think of the reality that since the beginning of time (nearly), there has been a yearning deep within mankind’s souls and even in the world we live in that cries out “When will it ever end, Lord?”

The Israelites whined, complained, ridiculed and eventually cried out to God for rescue. David shared his deepest heart cries and moments of despair as he desperately ached for relief and God’s hand of salvation. The prophets warned of days to come - empty days and days of despair. In each and every instance, God was always present. He heard the cries. He met the needs. He always knew what the outcome would be and when it would come – and that's true even now. 

There is an end in sight, and we, as believers, can count on that reality. Jesus will return. We will live in eternity with Him! The year 2020 will be but a brief moment in our lifespan. For now, it’s so easy to get caught up in our "3-mile view" of the horizon. God’s view, thankfully, goes way beyond even what the heights of Mt. Everest can do for a mere human's view. God sees for infinity, yet the horizon from His perfect perspective isn’t hundreds of miles away. It is just around the corner, and He walks with us one step at a time.

He’s got this!

But, how do we change our perspective in the moments of life when all we want to do is cry out, “Will it ever end”? 

1. We ask God for perseverance – the ability within to bear up under difficult circumstances. We hang on tightly to Him!

2. We ask God for His strength – just as Ephesians 6:10b teaches us. That our “strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you.” (TLB)

3. We ask God for His perspective – as Charles Spurgeon expressed in this great quote. “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” (Ponder that one for a moment!)

Sometime soon...

  • Our children will be educated...
  • This year’s presidential election will come and go...
  • COVID may someday be no more a threat than pneumonia... 
  • ...and every baby – sooner or later – learns to sleep through the night. 

There is an end to today and there will be an end to tomorrow. So, may we each trust God for our future and… 

“Make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8


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Comments

  1. Thank you so much, Annette, for this message of hope and encouragement. It sometimes is hard to think that things will have an end and that our experiences now will be replaced with others. Thank you for taking the time to share the profound thoughts that God places on your heart.❤

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