For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10)

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The author stared at an empty page, pen in hand, poised to write. How should he fill this page- and the next page- and the one after that—and . . . There were so many possibilities, so many results from the possibilities, so many effects from the results. It took contemplation. “You are the Author of your own life story,” he thought. And he began to write. . .

That quote was displayed in two posters in my classroom, above and below my Little Free Library, which consisted of an open cabinet with shelves of books written by many different authors. I wanted each of my students to realize that, like the authors of these books, they also had their own life stories to write—and, in fact, were doing so every day and every moment. It should take contemplation.

Each writer of the books in my classroom library once faced the blank page and had to fill it—and continue filling the blank sheets until the story concluded on the last page. Sometimes, though, there was an added postscript revealed in an epilogue—“a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened” (www.googlesearch.com). This additional end portion of the book could also be referenced as the “Afterword.” What happened “after” was the end result and effect of the possibilities chosen by the author to fill the pages of his story.

We each have a pen in our hand and blank pages before us. The Creator God has given His creation mankind the ability and freedom of choice to write its own story—with every man and woman in creation a personal author. How we each fill the blank pages of our life story with “the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” will determine our “Afterword” as we face the judgment seat of Christ.

What will Your Afterword be?

DEPART—I never knew you. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)
—-OR—-
ENTER—Good and faithful servant. His lord said unto him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

It takes prayer, before filling the pages of our life stories. The epilogue must be contemplated in each page as we earnestly direct our lives toward that desired Afterword— to ENTER an eternal beginning with the Lord.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/17/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word