We have a tradition in our family, our own catchphrase. In our home videos, we never say, “The End.” Instead, we always say “More to Come.”
I don’t remember when it started, but it’s now ingrained in all of us. In fact, when the kids want me to stop-it-already-with-the-video they’ll smile and, sort of sarcastically, say “more to come, mommmmmm.” That’s my cue to start watching with my eyes instead of the lens.
More to come is an invitation to pay attention to the developing story.
Usually, the camera catches happy family moments (we don’t turn it on when we’re arguing!), but our catchphrase applies on the bad days, too. On good days, we’re saying, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” On bad days, it’s a statement of hope.
Whatever happens today, there’s more to come.
I was reminded of this in an improbable place the other day—the movie theater bathroom.
The woman two stalls over was either on the phone with a friend or giving herself the most amazing pep-talk ever. This is what I heard her say:
It takes years to understand some things. You won’t get over this in a few weeks or months. I would say: remember your story isn’t finished. Your story is still unfolding.”
I wanted to shout back, “Yes! Yes! Yes! More to Come!” but given my location, I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.
I don’t know what her friend was facing, whether it was the end of a relationship or a job or the end of a different kind of dream. It was obviously something painful and hard to understand.
Today you might find yourself in a tough situation.
Maybe you’re dealing with unemployment, loneliness, or grief. Perhaps money is tight, and you’re worried about paying the bills. Today, parenting (or work or marriage or life) might feel impossibly hard. Whatever the challenge, remember—it’s not the end of your story.
Your story is unfolding.
Today’s challenge could be the beginning of something amazing. Just like the bathroom talker said, it takes years to understand some things.
I experienced this in 2002. I really, really, really wanted to be a mom when our infertility diagnosis came through. At the time it felt like the end, but now I understand it was the beginning.(Read more about that here.)
Maybe today isn’t tough at all. Maybe today is the best day you’ve had in a long time. Guess what? There’s more to come!
In Romans, the Apostle Paul writes: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
Whether today is amazingly good or amazingly tough, I hope you will overflow with joy and peace and the hope of more to come.
Take a minute and tell me about what you hope for in your more-to-come-moments. Leave a comment, send me an e-mail or find me on Facebook or Twitter.
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Originally Published July 1, 2014 as “Your Story Isn’t Finished” here at www.bethdemme.com.
Comments 1
I certainly needed to read this today. Thank you.