The Befores and Afters

It's always been like that.

Think of marriage. BEFORE, it's courtship,
a time of getting to know the person with
whom you hope to spend the rest of your life. The special dates, flowers, then the ring and marriage.

Now, AFTER where you discover the real
person you are now living with for the rest of your life. And hopefully you have made a wise choice! (Happily I did. After many years we are really in sync with each other in every way)

Now what about the BEFORE of a holiday. The anticipation of spending a time of true relaxation in that special somewhere you've always wanted to visit. First buying the air tickets, checking your luggage can withstand mishandling. Insurance in case things go awry. Maybe some new clothes?

And the AFTER? No matter the weather, I can read for hours without bothering about cooking, cleaning or washing. Oh, joy! I soak up the freedom. The exhilaration of new sights, new experiences. I feel refreshed and ready to face my everyday life at home.

Now take the BEFORE of a book. It starts with with a thought, a premise. Add more thoughts, the plot. Then the delving into the protagonists' characters. Now the writing which could have already begun.The editing. Beta readers. The proof reading.  And finally .... da-dah! THE BOOK! 

But now comes the AFTER. Oh, it's well and truly been completed, and its author can enjoy the pride and satisfaction of all that hard work, the sacrifice of other pleasant outings, late nights etc.
Then comes the hunt for a publisher ..... And eventual publication!

I thought of the Lord God  BEFORE creation. Behind each day of creation week He had planned the reason and the order of things that would come into being. If we as mere humans plan and reason, it's because our dear Lord made us that way. Life never generates from nothing spontaneously. Even the most brilliant of scientists admit they do not understand where LIFE came from. Yet our God, Ex Nihilo, formed the universes, our planet and our humankind from nothing that ever was. And so we live, and breathe and experience our being.

And the AFTER? I am so looking forward to being with HIM forever. To see my Saviour, Jesus, face-to-face! And what a marvellous reunion that will be! As the hymn writer wrote;

When the trumpet of the lord shall sound and time shall be no more
When the morning breaks Eternal, bright and fair,
When the saints on earth shall gather over on the other shore,
When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there!     

BIO:

Indie Publisher, Rita Stella Galieh, has written a trilogy of historical novels & also contributed to several US anthologies. She is now completing a third historical romance series. Besides her weekly blog, she can be found on Facebook and www.ritastellapress.com  

 After their marriage, she and her husband attended Emmaus Bible College, and were also involved with Christian Television on Sydney’s Channel Nine. Currently she co-presents Vantage Point, an Australia-wide Christian FM radio program. She enjoys giving her fun-filled presentations of ‘Etiquette of the Victorian Era’ in costume.