All Good Things...

And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over. Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. -- Deuteronomy 34:5-9

Before I begin, can I just say that if you have to die how cool would it be to have God personally bury your body???

You know how to finish the title, right? All good things...must come to an end. It signifies the inevitability of change, that your current situation is only temporary. Today is the last day of my summer vacation. I've been off work for over a week now and it has been both a productive and enjoyable time, but I've also missed my friends at work and getting to spend the time both morning and afternoon riding to and from with my wife. Even though a more extended vacation sounds good on the surface (and don't get me wrong, I'd jump on it if money wasn't a problem), it's OK that it comes to an end because it means I can get back to my routine and also that my kids get a break from me putting them to work!

I get the feeling that Moses was at peace with what he'd done for God and Israel when he died. It was filled with challenges to be sure and I have to believe he wasn't enjoying himself for a good part of that time, but he obeyed God and delivered his people to their new home. His reward was to climb a mountain so he could see the land with his own eyes before passing away. I think he knew what awaited his spirit after his body died and I think he was ready for the break.

Many of us don't really enjoy change, do we? We like to put things in order and then keep a routine. Change doesn't do anything besides mess our routine up. But the thing is, God looks at change as progress. We can't move forward without change and sometimes the biggest moves forward require little steps back, no matter how big a step back they may seem at the time. I know it's hard, but I want you to try and embrace change when it happens, recognizing it for what it is which is God preparing you for something new. Just because a good thing must end doesn't mean that an even better thing isn't waiting for you right around the corner.