The Rest of the Story

The Rest of the Story

Growing up in Rochester, New York, our local newpaper, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, had a funny, somewhat sarcastic column written by a lady named Erma Bombeck that I will never forget. She could take everyday life situations, cause you to see the humor in it, and somehow put the seriousness of the subject matter in perspective. You know it had to be good for her weekly article to keep my interest through my teen years and beyond.

But something happened yesterday that has really changed my appreciation of Erma Bombeck, I read something about her life. And as Paul Harvey says, "Now, for the rest of the story".

Her story starts with her college guidance counselor telling her to "forget about writing, find something you might be good at". It seems Erma refused to give up. She tells about a book signing that only attracted two people, one who wanted directions to the restroom and one who wanted to buy the table. But once again, it seems Erma refused to give up. And her not giving up paid off as she eventually published 15 books and was named one of the 25 most influential women in America. She went from writing obituaries on her first job to writing a column that was carried by over 900 newspapers 18 years later. And she ended up writing that column for close to 30 years.

What an encouragement for you and I to not give up when it seems that our best efforts are not succeeding as we would like, to not give up when it seems that what the Lord has promised us will never come to pass. Erma's personal life had it's troubles and difficulties too. During the 30 years of publishing her newspaper column, she buried two babies, faced breast cancer and a mastectomy, and experienced kidney failure. Yet none of that caused her to give up. And none of that caused her to lose her sense of humor and her ability to keep life in perspective.

In the Bible, David didn't give up when everyone turned against him in I Samuel 30. And that was after many years of running from Saul and wondering if God's promises, spoken 13 years earlier, would ever come to pass. Abraham didn't give up when every natural circumstance told him that he and Sarah were too old to have children. He didn't give up because "he considered Him faithful who had made the promise". Hebrews 10:36 says that "you need to persevere (not give up) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."

Going back to the 60's when I started reading Erma Bombeck's columns, I had no idea that I was enjoying the fruits of determination, the fruits of a life that refused to give up on her dreams. And 40 years later, it makes a powerful impression that "though the vision tarries, wait for it, it will surely come" (Habakkuk 2:3)

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church