Cliffhangers

Did Castle break Beckett’s heart for good? Will Gibbs’ father survive the visit from the ruthless cartel senorita? Who is standing behind Callen as he kneels at his sister’s grave? Will the Russians find Jack Bauer in the movie follow-up to the series ender of 24? These are the questions I have for the shows I watched this sweeps week of May 2010. Be sure, I will tune in to find out how these cliffhangers are resolved.

Love them, or hate them, cliffhangers are compelling story-telling tools, fueling the natural desire in us all to get answers to the ultimate question: what happens next?

This literary weapon can do some damage – whack us up side the head with a startling surprise, drag us to the next episode whether we want to go or not, or leave us breathless or weeping or with a hole in our hearts that actually hurts.

The thing with cliffhangers, though, is that usually there’s an opportunity to find out what happens. It’s the cruelest blow of an author to end a story dangling the reader on a precarious edge, and yet sometimes that’s the exact effect required to make a point.

The point gets lost sometimes, though, in the strong emotional reactions cliffhangers cause. Emotions cause opinions and opinions cause discussions, which cause arguments. But we love to talk about it, hash it out, because whatever that feeling is in our gut left there by that certain cliffhanger, requires that we find someone else to relate to it. In doing so, we search for the resolution of said cliffhanger. It brings a semblance of peace.

Sometimes I feel like I’m dangling from the cliff, that my life is the actual cliffhanger. What happens next? How long do I have to wait to find out? Will I fall before then? Can I hold on that long? Maybe I should just let go, forget the struggle? Maybe hitting the rocky ground won’t hurt as much as quivering arm muscles and splitting fingernails.

But then I realize, my story has an ending and the Great Author has it all written out. Oh, and it’s a good ending, so good that it’s actually a beginning. And if I can hang on a while longer, then my happy ending/beginning will arrive and I’ll be pulled off the edge and placed on solid ground.

No matter what’s going on in life, the happy ending/beginning is sure – Heaven. I know, we want everything before that. And thank God all of life is not hanging off a cliff. Yet, when it does feel that way, just think about the last page of the book (some of you read that first, don’t you?? Don’t you??) It has us in a place with no more tears, no more pain, no more death, no more sorrow, endless light, life eternal (Rev. 21:1-7).

If anything, I’ll hold on for that.

Oh, and we’re not holding on with our own strength. We’re not alone. We’re laced up with ropes and carabiners and a Spotter Who’s got us and won’t let us fall.

Thank You, Lord, for holding on to us when we’re done gripping the ledge.

Have a great holiday weekend, Dry Ground friends! Be blessed!