LOST

This week, Amy and I started watching the TV show called LOST, at night just before bed. Just a couple of weeks ago we finished three seasons of Downton Abbey. It won't start again until February 2014, so we wanted to find a show to watch together in the mean time.

Here is what Wikipedia says about LOST:  

Lost is an American television series that originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, over six seasons. Lost is a drama series containing elements of science fiction and the supernatural that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. The story is told in a heavily serialized manner. Episodes typically feature a primary storyline on the island, as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character's life.

Did you notice two key points about the show? It aired from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, and was over six seasons. We are only five episodes into season one! The show lasted for six seasons and ended three years ago! We are quite behind.

I am enjoying the show so far, and though it has some strange parts, it is quite intriguing. Since the show has already ended and is no longer on the air, I am dying to see how it ends. I have heard that people who watched the show were not happy with the ending. I can't wait to see what happens. Maybe the people on the island were dreaming and woke up. Who knows? I guess I will have to wait and see.

When I think about the show LOST, I also start thinking about our marriage journey and recovery. We are just a season or two in to our recovery, so to speak. A lot has happened since the journey began on August 26, 2011. Like with the show, LOST, there are days I wish I could skip ahead and see how things turn out for us, say two years from now, five years from now, ten years from now, etc.

During those really hard days, that is when I am most tempted to "fast forward" or get a glimpse of what's coming. Well, honestly, I really only want to see the good things that are coming. I don't want to imagine difficult days coming. What all will happen? Will someone we love suddenly die? Will we struggle with our businesses? Will our kids have troubles? Will our marriage keep growing? These are just a few of the questions I have.

Other questions are more positive. Will we continue to see God do amazing things? Will we be blessed and in turn bless others? Will our kids thrive and grow like never before as we home school and lead them more effectively? Will our businesses boom and be blessed by God far above what we ever dreamed? 

I don't know what all is going to happen in the future. I do know what is happening in the present moment, AND I know what has happened in the past. Two powerful quotes that help as we live in the present, learn from the past and look forward to the future are this:

God's faithfulness in the past is what gives us hope for the future.

The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot sustain you.

As Dr. Fred Wolfe said in a sermon years ago, "We want victory without the battle." That's so true, isn't it? A lot of times we don't want to go through the difficulties in order to get healing. We want to skip over the hard stuff. Well, I can honestly say that I have needed the hard stuff in order to get healing. I haven't always enjoyed the process, but I am grateful for it. Though I wish I could see what all God has in store for Amy and me, I am trying to learn from the past and enjoy the present.

I am hopeful about our future. God has been very gracious, patient, forgiving, and also willing to discipline us and prune us. I consider it an honor that I can say that and believe it. I want to trust His ways are best and that He is for us. When I do that, then I am able to stay in the fight and press on, knowing He is right there with us, often carrying us through to completion. Go Jesus!