In his book, “Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives, Charles Swindoll concludes his thoughts on the importance of an impressive finish in life by telling of his experience playing in the Third Marine Division Band.  He says he learned that the most important notes are the last few bars of the piece.

“You can recover from a rough beginning, he writes.  “You still have time to settle down and find yourself in the middle.  But there’s nothing to follow those last notes except silence.  The quality of those final notes on the final page of the finale will usually be the ones that shape the audience’s memory of your performance.”

Near the end of his life, in a letter to a young minister, Paul made the same point but compared his life to an athletic contest rather than notes closing out a concert: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” he said (2 Timothy 4:7).  But Paul hadn’t always been a winner.  Before he came to faith he had been a persecutor of the church and the cause of imprisonment and even death for many who believed.  An encounter on the road to Damascus with the One he hated, turned Paul’s life around and granted him grace enough to finish well.

Upon concluding a sermon based on Jonah’s opportunity to fulfill the mission in Iraq he had fled, I was approached by an early twenty something man who told me he had just dropped out of college where he had been preparing to become a pastor.  Years later, I received a phone call from him telling me the rest of the story.  He had returned to school, entered the ministry, had a fine family and a church he loved.  Unlike those who falter near the end of life and fail, he had been given time enough to get back on track and

fulfill his former goal.  Now he was enjoying the benefits of dreams fulfilled and positively impacting the lives of others.

My friend, Cecil Moe, once struggled with an addiction to alcohol.  His life seemed to

be falling apart, especially when his wife announced she was leaving, taking their son with her and filing for divorce.  In desperation, Cecil searched the phone book for the number of a pastor, to whom he later poured out his sad story, seeking help.

The wise minister introduced Cecil to his Lord who, in response to faith, broke the chains of addiction, restoring Cecil’s marriage and setting him on a course of helping others find freedom.  A movie was finally made of his life that had wide circulation and now, in his eighties, this former substance slave gives his time to ministering in prisons.  He’s finishing well.

Many heroes of the faith had disappointing times in their lives from which they had time to recover.  Peter denied his Lord three times but later became the spokesman for the early church.  Thomas didn’t have faith enough to believe in the resurrection but later died as a martyr after a life of missionary service.

During my senior year in high school, I was the miler on the track team.  At an important tri-county meet, while rounding the last bend and heading for the finish line, I found myself tied with another runner and the outcome was doubtful.  Then, only a few steps before the race ended, my opponent fainted.  Victory was sweet that day, but now, after all these years, I still feel sorry for the one who couldn’t finish well.

What changes need to be made in your life while you’ve still time to win?