Sometimes, the good must give way to the best.
Have you ever wondered, why do all good things really come to an end?
You’re enjoying yourself and blissfully happy—you are enjoying a needed holiday or happy relationship or a TV series, and then, you stop and think, this is too good to be true. This is going to end.
And sometimes it does. May be sometimes badly, or unexpectedly. Who goes on to ask these questions – was that thing or person even ever really good for me? What is God doing for me in this situation?
Such losses set up the perfect scenario for superstition to keep into your life. Are you one of those who are afraid of enjoying themselves or being hopeful? You’re convinced that it’s far better to expect the worst because then you’ll never be disappointed?
Well, if you responded with a “yes,” consider this good news.
The sentiment of all good things coming to an end is nowhere near what we, as believers in Christ, can expect. The good earthly things will come to an end sooner or later, but the best will last for eternity. This doesn’t mean that we can never expect the best in this earthly life. On the contrary, God gives us a taste of the best here so we know what we can look forward to in eternity and are encouraged to honour and respect each other—to treat our relationships here as potential treasures of heaven.
As you read this letter, normally crafted to offer words of encouragement, I need to forewarn you of a time of ending. This magazine could end at the end of this year. The incoming Church Council will need to take a decision on its future viability at its June meeting. Why? We have tried hard to refresh and rebrand it, but the numbers subscribing continues to fall away for whatever reason. We have tried to make it topical and relevant to these villages whilst maintaining its essentially and local Christian mission. We are running out of steam – it’s long-standing Editor is stepping down later this year, and during Holy week, another key player in the infrastructure of the Magazine has resigned too. With such significant changes ahead for the Churches in these villages, it is really up to you, reading this and more widely the villagers of Powick and Callow End, to see if there is a future for this magazine or not. Others are more versed in its long-standing history and commitment to being the “voice of the villages”, but to continue needs a monumental community, not just church, effort. With revenues falling away, the Church locally cannot prop it up. The costs of production are bound to rise as paper costs increase. The church relies on an income from each magazine subscription and advert so will also have to make cuts to its mission in the villages to match. This is all so very counter intuitive to what we should be doing, but we cannot sustain this magazine in its current situation. All good things – do they have to come to an end?
Out of dark situations, new life and resurrection follow so may be this is the time to close the magazine down – or is it indeed a time for the Communities in these villages to roll the stone back and see a new future for a community focussed magazine – available to all and truly a voice of these villages? I would be pleased to support and contribute to that.
Our Christian hope is not in our hopeless situation, but in God who scoops us up in his arms, out of the mire, and places us in his best, healthiest situation for us. He doesn’t just leave us hanging in the here and now. He has something much better for us. He replaces our sorrow with joy, contentment, and hope, not later, but in this life too. So if you feel that you are in a hopeless personal situation, or you feel bereft because of the possible closure of this magazine after the Christmas/New Year edition, rejoice and realise that we are being willed by God to do better for ourselves constantly. Do something rather than moan about it. Some things are missed when they go, others take their place. We have good foundations to build a community magazine in a different way, if we choose to.
We can never outwit or underestimate God: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities…,” (Psalm 103) but according to his grace, love, and compassion a solution for our needs will become apparent. Contact me if you can help, or know of anyone that can help. If not, I will be taking the closure motion through the Church Council next month.
Every blessing
Rev Gary