Life Is Like a Dickens Novel
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known. – Sydney Carton
This famous line marks the end of the masterful novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. If you know the story, you know how fitting this ending is. Yet, what I find especially remarkable is that among the many other novels Dickens wrote, you discover many other masterful stories that also end exactly as they should. That is why I say, “Life is like a Dickens novel.”
In recent years, my wife has introduced me to many of the stories that Charles Dickens wrote. They are brilliant. He portrays a vast array of distinct and fascinating characters. With them, he weaves together intricate and compelling plots, which appear to wander far apart; but they always converge in the end, exactly as they should, whether you want them to end that way or not.
Altogether, the characterizations, the plots and the endings that Dickens created teach a powerful lesson to us all. They teach us that in the end, your life will conclude exactly as it should. The choices you make today will produce the consequences they deserve. The harm that happened to you will be vindicated, and all loose ends will be closed. There will be no exceptions.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith (Gal.6:7-10).
You will reap according to what you sow, no more, no less; and you will often reap much later than you sow. Whatever your condition, learn to depend on the Spirit of God and the Word of God to make the choices that prepare you for a joyful future.
Oh Agnes, oh my soul, so may thy face be by me when I close my life indeed; so may I, when realities are melting from me like the shadows which I now dismiss, still find thee near me, pointing upward! – David Copperfield
Thomas Overmiller serves as pastor for Faith Baptist Church in Corona, NY and blogs at Shepherd Thoughts. This article first appeared at Shepherd Thoughts, used here with permission.
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