Joyfully Embracing Life

When I was a kid, I loved a little book called, “The Monster at the End of This Book.” The story features Grover, the blue puppet of Sesame Street fame. After reading the book’s title, Grover becomes fearful of meeting the monster at the end of the book. On every page, he begs the reader to stop turning pages, lest they finish the story and encounter the monster. Of course, I always turned the pages until I came to the end, where, indeed, there is a monster! But it turns out there is nothing to be afraid of—the monster at the end of the book is Grover himself.

Sometimes, I feel a bit like Grover. Not that I don’t want to move forward in life—I do. But there are moments when I get nervous about what might lie ahead—times when I feel anxious or apprehensive about what the future might hold. Like a bird in a net, my mind can get tangled in what-ifs and ominous wonderings.

That’s not how I want to live, though. What I want is to be like the woman described in Proverbs 31:25 (NIV) who “can laugh at the days to come.” The New American Standard Bible says it this way: “she smiles at the future.”

I love how this woman so joyfully embraces life! But how can we follow her example when so much can go wrong?

I think one secret is found in Paul’s words to the Romans: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” Romans 8:28 (NIV).

Not all things are good, but God always is. Like the woman in Proverbs 31, we can laugh because we know Who our God is, and we know that through Him everything—even the hard things—will be used for our benefit.

We don’t have to fear the future. There is no monster at the end of the book. God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He goes before us and behind us. He is on every page of your story. He is good, and His plans for you are good. That’s something to smile at!