One fact of life that can be difficult to accept is that in order for us to fully embrace the future, we must leave behind not only the distant past, but even the recent past. This can be especially hard in times of major transition, such as moving on from a relationship, or changing from one job or house to another.
For me, it’s helpful to remember that life is like a book with pages to be turned. It’s impossible to read an entire book without turning its pages, which naturally means that every chapter must close in order for a new one to begin.
Since I’m blind, I read printed books with an app that takes a picture of each page as I hold the camera over it and reads it with a digital voice. Just like a sighted reader, whenever I reach the end of a page, I have to turn to the next one in order to continue with the story.
Throughout my life, I’ve experienced many page-turning changes. Having been active in missions for most of my 36 years, I moved around a lot with my family. Many of these moves involved leaving behind a ministry I was personally vested in, as well as deep friendships, to start over in a new, unknown territory. I always felt hesitant at the beginning, and there were always mixed feelings. But each time, I managed to turn the page and move on with my life’s story. In the end, I was always glad to have made new friends and reached new goals, which wouldn’t have come about if I’d not been willing to turn the page.
The Bible is full of people who had to do some major page-turning in order to fulfill God’s calling for them, from Abraham right on to Jesus.
Do you find yourself at the close of a page or chapter in your life? I hope this encourages you to turn the page in faith and start the new chapter with confidence, knowing that the One who authors the book of your life has been with you up to this point, and will remain with you till the end.1
- See Matthew 28:20. ↑