Most of us live long stretches of life in a minor key. These can be beautiful tunes with rich, deep chords behind them, but pain and disappointment are somehow woven into them. Our successes come against a backdrop of problems and perseverance; our joys come mingled with sorrows; our relationships are fulfilling even as they fall short of expectations; and none of us have all of our desires satisfied all of the time.
We’re used to that, and by faith we enjoy life anyway, with all its ups and downs. We learn to cope with disappointment and focus on our gratitude for the many ways God shows his goodness to us. But a time is coming when the minor key turns major, when all chords of transition resolve in a beautiful climax, when the orchestra ultimately comes together in a glorious finale. Life as we know it now is not life as it will always be.
That’s what God means when he says he is making all things new (Revelation 21:5). In our age, he is redeeming and restoring lives. By the end of the story, all the sad stuff will somehow be rendered good and beautiful and satisfying. The “unrealistic” endings of happy stories will suddenly seem more realistic than any other. No matter how real evil has been, it will become unreal and be undone.
Live in that hope. No matter how discordant your experiences are today, you know the resolution is coming. If the tune isn’t beautiful in the moment, it certainly will be. The minor themes highlight the major key. God’s magnum opus will be enormously worthwhile.
