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I have a bona fide obsession. Actually, it’s probably more like an addiction. I cannot stop writing. Now, I find this odd, since I didn’t grow up hoping to write a book someday. It was never even on my radar. But suddenly, all I want to do is write. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. In the past half year, I’ve written two novels that actually stand a decent chance of being published, and I’m a third of the way done with another. Additionally, I just came up with an idea for a new book series, and have written a handful of scenes for those as well. I talk about my characters as if they were real people. I’ve laughed through chapters and sobbed while writing others. Like I said, I’m obsessed. And I don’t know how other authors write their books, but in my case I’ve found a pattern. I have to write the end first.

Writing a novel is a journey unlike any other. I’ve found that in order to make the whole thing tie together, I have to know how it’s going to end before I even start. I need to know where I’m going in order to get there. And knowing how the story ends helps me fashion the events leading up to that finale. If I don’t have a clear idea of where I’m going, the story itself is kind of pointless.

So what does this have to do with you? I doubt you’re reading this for tips on how to write a book. But in a very real sense, you’re on a journey yourself. It’s called life. And believe it or not, you already know the ending. No, you don’t know how or when you’ll die, but you know that at some point, you will die. But even that’s not the end of the story. God’s already written the end for Christians. Those who believe in Jesus will spend eternity with Him. Talk about a happy ending!

So how does knowing the ending affect how you plan your journey? Keep that ending in mind as you go through your daily life. Tell others about Jesus and the happy ending awaiting you. You’ll have good scenes and bad scenes in this thing called life, but remember that eventually you’ll make it to the end. And God’s already written the final chapter. You, me, and all the saints in heaven will be together in heaven.

And we’ll all live happily ever after.

Photo is Path in Whitwell Wood by Andrew Hill