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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: End (02/13/06)
That's All Folks!

Ah, the memories of waking up on Saturday mornings with Bugs Bunny and friends. With my bowl of cereal in one hand and my spoon ready to plunge into Cocoa Krispies in the other, I sat right in front of the TV waiting with anticipation for "Warner Bros. Presents -- Merrie Melodies," (with Bugs lounging on top of the WB shield while chomping on his carrot).

You know, I don't remember Bugs ever being outwitted. Oh, sometimes it looked like he wasn't going to escape the boiling waters of the big black cauldron (of course, I'm not fond of rabbit soup), or the shotgun of Elmer Fudd (and roasted rabbit doesn't interest me either). But in the end, it always turned out alright for Bugs. And we'd know when it was over when we'd see, at the very end, "That's All Folks!" Boy, they just don't make cartoons like they used to.

Well, everybody loves a good ending, whether in a cartoon, movie, good book and, foremost, life itself. But, real life's adventures aren't so easy to work out. And certainly, not everyone is guaranteed that their life is going to have a good ending. Just talk to a single mom with five kids, a guy who just got life in prison, an elderly neighbor whose been relocated to a nursing home, or a friend who has just been diagnosed with cancer. No happy ending for them. Yet, there's got to be more to life.

I like in the Bible when King David is having a terrible time, but does not lose his temper, but instead seeks perspective:

"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. (Psalm 39:4)

Here David doesn't actually want to know when the day of his life is to end (and who would want to know the precise time of that anyway?); rather, his request is to remember that life here on earth is short in comparison to eternity.

Everyone who can comprehend birth, no matter what faith or lack of faith they embrace, knows that all living things come to an end. To all who are born, will be all who will die. Yet, people from the beginning of time have tried to divert the end -- defeat death . Some concoct their own stories of what happens when they die. These are some I have personally heard:

"When people die, they turn into angels and go to heaven."

"There is no life after death. It's just the end of you."

"I believe there is a heaven, but no hell."

"I am a good person, so I think I'll go to heaven."

Some people live like there is no tomorrow, hoping that if they don't think about life's end, then somehow it won't happen. Then there are some who are too frightened to think about at all. Others have a complacent attitude, "whatever will be will be." And many hope they can work their way towards a happy eternal end.

In the bible we find that none of the above is accurate OR truthful. Quite the contrary, the bible gives clear understanding of life's end. First off, Jesus Christ IS the "Alpha and the Omega. He IS the beginning and the end (Rev. 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13). In other words, beginning and end in Jesus are not just a timeframe. It is His very essence. So, in Him, we find our beginning (even before we were in our mother's womb, Ps. 139:13-16) and, we find our ending (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.) (KJV).

With the knowledge of God's Word, there is no guesswork -- actually no works at all -- to attain a happy ending. We don't have to figure out ways of escaping the boiling waters of the big black cauldron or where our next carrot is coming from. We have it all in Christ Jesus. The End. And, "That's All Folks!"
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Marilyn Schnepp 
02/21/06
Very well said, and very well written! I liked this very much - however...(there's always a "however", right?) I thought the Roadrunner had a worse time of it than Bugs! (smile) I enjoyed this story.
Jan Ackerson
02/22/06
Very good work here. Most devotionals leave me with a ho-hum feeling, but the "frame" of the cartoon analogy bumped this one up several notches. Nice job.
Ann Stocking
02/22/06
I'm not a fan of devotionals, either, but this one caught my eye! Good job tying it all together in a faith application. I especially like the last paragraph!
Karen Rice
02/25/06
I love the segway, the way the cartoon 'hooks' before getting down to business. But I also agree that the best part is found in the last paragraph. With God, nothing else is needed when the truth is discovered.

A wonderful seed worth planting!
c clemons
02/25/06
Last paragragh said it all. It really is that easy, when you try to explain what it takes to have eternal life, most would say "is that all?"
Yep, "That's all folks!" Have a good time writing.