“Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don't really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren't really an ending; some things are never-ending.” -C. JoyBell C.

As the semester draws to an end, I find myself reflecting on how many things are also coming a close. The musical I've been involved in for the last few months has its last couple of shows this weekend. I'm down to only a couple more major projects for a few classes.

And, for me, my year at college is ending a bit early this time, as I will be studying elsewhere for the spring. Even though I will be returning next fall for my last year, it is strange to think about not being here for so many things that are going to be starting soon.

So many younger people are so excited for high school to end and yet so many people about to graduate college are terrified to be on their own entirely. Sometimes we want things, like bad relationships and long drawn out TV shows, to end. But oftentimes we don't want to see things come to a close before we perceive they should.

I do slightly dread the end of the semester, mostly for the sake of missing friends and roommates. The rest I can deal with. But time without some of the most important people in my life will be difficult, even though it's in pursuit of things God is teaching me and using me to bring glory to Him.

But we have to accept the truth: things end.

That doesn't make an ending bad or even evil. If that were true, we wouldn't grow from new experiences. After all, Colossians says we are a "new creation". We died to our old self, ending those habits and sin, in order to be new.

But we can still learn from our past, it may hurt but we can't run from it, can we? We should appreciate the time we've had and the things we learned. We can look back on our past and appreciate how far we've come, how far God has brought us and how He has blessed us.

I think endings are necessary. Not only are they a reminder of the preciousness of life, but also that our eternal life with God never ends. Our eternity is defined by the end of condemnation on the cross, by the beginning of salvation.

We need endings because life would be monotonous without them and we would never fully live like today was our last. We'd grow complacent and incapable of appreciating the life God has given us.

Mourn the end but don't fear or regret the beginning that's coming.