A Writer’s Heart: Happy Ever After

The Writer’s Heart: Happy Ever After

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

When shall I come and appear before God …

O my God, my soul is in despair within me …

I will say to God my rock,

‘Why hast Thou forgotten me …’”

(from Psalm 42)

When my Mom walked through the land of dementia, her mind filled with questions. The words of this Psalm identified her want and expressed her need. Her want was for immediate release and understanding of the new world she had no memory of. Peace, hope, and strength for the journey was her need.

In the writing world, I’ve heard authors should give their readers what they want—for most that is a happy-ever-after ending, concluding whatever conflict our characters face. What is needed is how to walk through the struggle and survive to that ending—to know there is peace, hope, and strength available to make it. No one wants a long journey, but the journey is where the need reveals itself. The author’s challenge comes in helping the readers find and fill the need that brings about the happy-ever-after ending we all want. It comes with knowing where to find it.

Three verses in Psalm 42 supply the answer.

“… Hope in God,

for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence …

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;

And His song, will be with me in the night,

A prayer to the God of my life …

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance, and my God.”

(from verses 5,8,11)

When Mom would have a really bad day, we would read scripture, pray, and sing praises to our God. Every time, the Lord would meet us there and peace, hope, and strength covered her spirit—until the day He came for her and gave her the happy-ever-after ending she desired.

May we as authors, not only give our readers what they want, but lead them to the place where their needs become their desire. Then our character’s happy-ever-after ending reaches into the reader’s heart where they find their own happy-ever-after ending. And isn’t that what we really want?

Where Is God?

Christmas approaches. The day we celebrate as the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, arrives. We look at our world and some may wonder where is God?

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give  you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isa. 7:14.

Matthew 1:22 gives us the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and the meaning behind it.

“…which being interpreted is, God with us.”

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.” Psallm 139:7-11.

Where is God?

He is wherever His people are. And He promises,

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Heb. 13:5b

He is among those in need.

“For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

And the righteous will ask, When did I do this for you?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:35-36;40).

He is in His own.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20.

He is at the right hand of God.

“…who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us…Rom. 3:34b; Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25.

Where is God?

“…which being interpreted is, God with us.”

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As you think on Christmas and God with us, what does that mean to you? How does He make his presence known to you?

Heavenly Father, thank you.