JUST KEEP LIVING: IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER

Whenever someone makes a despondent or grandiose statement in my seventy-six year old father's presence he says, "Just keep living it ain't over till the fat lady sings." I am learning daily that the proverbial fat lady has really strong vocal cords and can hold notes a long time. It ain't over till the fat lady sings is not intended for offense. It is a colloquialism, essentially meaning that one should not assume the outcome of some activity until it is actually finished. The difficult part of waiting for the song to end is that life keeps spinning and the slopes become slippery. Keeping it together and not falling into the realm of absolute thinking (never and always) is the mentality behind my father's quote. We are sometimes too quick to draw conclusions. We cave in and quit too soon. Scripture refers to it as "getting weary in well doing." Circumstances can turn in our favor on a dime. Therein lies the proof that "it ain't over till it's over." We do not have the ability to see everything from beginning to end instantly. Life is a process of high and low notes mixed with transitional runs and pauses. We have to take our position on the center stage of life next to the fat lady and wait until she completes her song. Only then will we know it's over. In the meantime just keep living.