“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matthew 25:14-30)
As this school year reaches an end, there have been a lot of lasts for students—last large group meeting, last small group, last cookout. And for our two interns, all of the above, plus their last staff meeting and staff prayer time. There has been some sadness and, I think, perhaps a few tears as the semester comes to a close.
Every school year is different and, thus, unique. Neither the same group of students nor the same experiences will ever be replicated. That opportunity ends every year as students graduate and are followed by new students coming in the next year. What they are left with are the memories and the experiences.
It is the same with life; it is full of endings. Days come to an end, as do semesters and school years. Our time in certain jobs end, as do, eventually, careers. Each stage of parenting ends—of infants and toddlers, children and teenagers. Often, friendships end, not necessarily due to discord, but because of distance and changes in life’s circumstances. And, ultimately, this earthly life ends as it has for all who have come before us.
So while endings can be sad and difficult, they are a part of this life’s experience. And the question we must ask ourselves over and over is, what are we doing with the present experience? Are we making an investment in it or are we wasting it? As a student, what have you done with this school year? As a parent, how have you invested in the well being of your child? As an employee, how have you served your employer and the opportunities presented to you? As a friend, what have you brought to the friendship that is beneficial and encouraging? When the end comes, will the answer be in a form of “Well done,” or “You were lazy and wasted the opportunity given you!”? If we are honest, probably some of both.
As I look back on my life’s experiences, I see a lot of times where I wasted opportunities, where I was self-centered and blind to what was before me. But, because of God’s grace, I have learned and grown and need not look back with regret. And, thus, endings become opportunities for new beginnings, to build upon what we have learned.
The journey of this life is full of endings, but the most important one comes when our earthly lives are no more. It is at that time, above all others, when we want to hear the words, “Well done.” But it is important to realize that our lives need not be perfect in themselves to hear those words. Rather, it is our willingness to trust in the Lord, to confess when we’ve done poorly, and to learn as we go along. Love covers over a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8) and there is no greater love than His!
Today, as you face endings in your life, remember how things end is dependent on what you invest in those experiences. And if you have invested poorly, know that with almost every ending comes a new beginning and a new opportunity to do better. I say “almost” because the last ending, the end of this earthly life, is final. A new beginning will only be granted to those who hear “well done” from the Master. Regardless of how imperfect my life has been, this is my ultimate goal. May it be yours as well.
© Jim Musser 2015
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