IT IS FINISHED

Have you ever said to yourself, "I am finished!" I have. In fact, just this past week I had to deal with a situation that did not end very favorably. After much soul searching, I came up with one solution: "I'm over it!"

That's right. I said it..."I'm done", "I'm over it", "It is finished"! But is it? Is it ever finished when a relationship goes bad? or a conversation turns heated? or a friend turns on you or a worse yet, a family member? Can it be done and over with if there is no resolve to the difficulty or confusion? If a "I'm sorry" is never verbalized, can it truly be finished?

There are a lot of things in life that go unfinished. Like our daily chores. How many times are we truly caught up on the laundry and there is no more to tend to? Very rarely. But Jesus serves as the prime example that when the end is near, we can all look back and see that the difficulties and hardships were not all for nothing. That the end is the end and there is no more to come. Even when there are no apologies, true forgiveness can be extended. Isn't that what Jesus did for you and me?

"When He had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' " (John 19:30)

Often as adults, we go through life battling with regret. We wish we had more time, we wish we had done things differently, we wish that the clock could be turned back. People can literally be crippled in life with these feelings of regret and remorse and "If only". Today I am not talking about the "what ifs", but what do we do when life struggles set us back, can we truly say to ourselves and to God, "it IS finished!"?

Jesus, the Son of God completed the task set before Him. Even though some did not believe. Some ridiculed Him. Some spat at Him. And some turned their back on Him. Even so, He fought the fight to the very end and when the end came, with love in His heart even for those who betrayed Him, He was able to say to God...IT IS FINISHED.

As you look to your circumstances today and you declare that you are done with it or done with someone; think about the cross. Think about the sacrifice. Think about the love. And then when you declare you are finished ... give it to God and let it be done and let the glory be His.

To God be the Glory for the things that HE has done!

BLESSINGS. Laurie