"The Story Doesn't End"... Chapter 12

Here we are.  The final chapter.  And it's a good one!   So much to learn from the book of Ruth and Naomi's example of embracing change and letting God use you, no matter how old you are, or where you find yourself in life.

"Finishing Well".... A common principle of good management is, "Begin with the end in mind." The point is simply to know where you want to end up so you keep aiming in the right direction.  I am now at a place in life where I take seriously what I once thought were silly questions like, "What would you want your tombstone to say?"  I am beginning to think about my own legacy. -pg 196


My legacy?   What do I want that to be?   Every decision I make from now until the day I die can/will affect the legacy I leave.   And that legacy is why our story doesn't end.  What we do with our lives now can impact generations to come, long after we leave this earth.

 I truly believe the decisions we make in the first half of our lives directly affect the back-half of our lives...  Did you lay out in the sun too much when you were in your 20's?   Your skin probably shows the effect of that choice now.   Did you choose to develop good exercise/eating habits early in life?   If not, I'll bet you struggle with effects from that now too.  (I'm definitely in that catagory!)   Did you choose to go to college, or straight into the workplace?   Did you choose to get married or stay single?  Did you learn how to manage your money well?   Did you focus on your career or your family?   Etc..etc... etc.... you get the point.  We had alot of decisions to make in our 20's that have directly affected where we are now... and the decisions we make NOW are going to directly affect our legacy.

So it's not over ladies... we still have alot of work to do.  And alot of life to lead.  What are you doing today that might affect someone generations from now?   That's something I want to consider as I make my life-choices now.  What can I do to help my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren's lives better?   How can I make this world a better place for them?   

Just like Naomi's life was turned into a story which is now called the book of "Ruth"...  our lives are stories too. Yes, we ALL have a story to tell with our lives.   And I think, just like in most books I've read, the second half of the story is the most exciting!  It's richer, full of insight and wisdom that could not have come in the first half. It's something to be.... uh.... well..... embraced.   Yes ladies....Embrace it.