“Living Happily Ever After ???”

I love stories where the hero faces severe trials and then miraculously overcomes them and lives happily ever after. Think of Abraham or Joseph or David in the Old Testament, or Peter and Paul in the New Testament. They had some tough times, but then they lived happily ever after…. or did they? 

The other day I saw an article on the life of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII. A great hero of the war, he came home and became a famous Hollywood actor…. handsome, wealthy, admired. Audie lived happily ever after… or did he?  

Recently I came across a book that had been a source of strength for me back in the day. The book was “Finishing Strong” by Steve Farrar. It had helped me keep my eye on the prize in the midst of life’s struggles. As I browsed thru the worn book, I discovered new insights and remembered old ones. I recalled that Steve had overcome many obstacles including a 3 year bout with severe depression. I guess Steve just cruised on home after conquering this major obstacle… or did he?

I began to wonder, what happened to Steve …. is he still alive, did he finish strong? I found out that he died unexpectantly a few years ago at the age of 72. I read that he was a powerful teacher of men, a man of integrity. I listened to one of his very last talks,  given just a short time before he died, entitled “When You’re Blown Off Course”. It was a powerful sharing of a humble man who had weathered many storms and had grown stronger thru them. In the talk, he mentioned that he even recently had to fight his way through the attack of an old enemy, depression, but he kept fighting. 

Did Steve Farrar live happily ever after once he survived that major bout of depression in his younger years… did everything run smoothly after that? Did Abraham, David, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Audy Murphy live happily ever after once they survived their major battles for which they are known?  

For all these men of God, the battle continued to rage until God called them home. We remember the story of “Quo Vadis” where the aging St. Peter is sneaking out of Rome to escape persecution, but has a vision of Christ and returns to be martyred.  These men fought thru many obstacles and became stronger; yet even after each victory, the battle continued to rage …. until their last breath. There’s no getting to some safe place where you can coast into the kingdom…. “I’ve done enough, I’ve conquered all the demons, I’ll coast over the finish line.” That’s a recipe for disaster.

I believe that we will one day live happily ever after, but in this lifetime we must continue to fight the good fight of faith. Until our last breath, the battle rages. When we find ourself in the midst of another battle whether at 20 years old or 80, we must keep fighting. And let’s listen to one peace of advice from Steve Farrar: “one of the ways you get thru a trial and come out stronger on the other side is by having a good friend at your side in the trial, a man of God,  who you can be open and honest with and who will tell you the truth”. (Finishing Strong, pg.68) 

Lord help us to stay in the fight and not give up. May we reach out and find the friend who will stand with us in our time of need. And may we be there for our friend in their time of need. May we all finish strong, and one day live happily ever after in the kingdom of heaven.