I was watching the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother, and I’ll say right now, this contains huge spoilers from this episode, so if you watch HIMYM and haven’t seen this episode yet, stop reading this and go watch it. Watch it now. 
So, for those of you who don’t watch the show, there are 5 main characters: Marshal, Lily, Robin, Ted, and Barney. Marshal and Lily are married and have a son together. Robin and Barney are engaged, and Ted is the narrator of the story, set in 2030, telling his kids how he met their mother (present day). Robin used to date Ted, and in the last few episodes he realizes that he’s still in love with Robin, and wishes she was marrying him instead of Barney. We see a flashback to when Ted was engaged (though she left him at the altar) and Robin realized she was in love with Ted, and wishes he was marrying her. So there’s this whole disconnect between them, with Robin marrying Barney in only a few days, and untold feelings between her and Ted.
Watching the latest episode, where Ted is in tears over Robin, and plans to move to Chicago after their wedding just because it would be too hard for him, my heart hurts for him and all I want is to see if, somehow, he ends up with Robin. Because they seem so perfect together. They love eachother. They should be together.
I realized how funny this is, and how true it is to our lives. From episode 1, we know that Ted does not marry Robin, and we only have a few clues as to who the wife is – she plays bass, she has a yellow umbrella, she’s studying at the university where Ted teaches, and we’ve seen her ankle. Yet throughout the entire series I keep wishing for Ted and Robin to get together. I cry when they break up. I rejoice when they get back together (Yes, I’m a girl). Even though I know the end of the story – I know that Ted finds his wife at Robin and Barney’s wedding, falls in love, and has two children with her. I find myself caught up in the story, in the current episode, and I wish for something different.
How often does this happen in our lives? We know the end of the story. We know that Jesus is coming back to redeem our lives, we will finally be made perfect and will live with Him for eternity. Yet, I know at least for me, I get so caught up in today’s “episode”. I want for myself things I know aren’t good for me. Even though I know God gives me everything I need, I want more. I want money. I want clothes. I want fame. I want relationships. I want, I want, I want. I get upset when I think things aren’t going the way I want them to be. In the business of the day I forget the full story.
In the latest episode of HIMYM, it’s the last few minutes of the episode, and they’re jumping between each of the characters on their way to the wedding: Lilly’s reassuring Ted that he’ll survive until the move; Marshall’s waiting to tell Lilly he accepted a job as a judge, putting their plans to move to Rome on hold; Robin is telling herself that she’s doing the right thing by marrying Barney even though she has feelings for Ted. And we see boots. These boots walking up to buy a train ticket to the wedding. Flash back to her, and we see the bass she’s carrying. Another flash to her and we see the yellow umbrella. Last few seconds of the episode and we finally see her face. We FINALLY see who Ted’s wife is. We see the mother. The thing we’ve waited for so long is finally revealed. Needless to say, I squealed pretty loud.
I know one day, I’ll finally see the ending to the story. I’ll finally see my Jesus come back for me. I’ll finally be reunited with Him for eternity. And I know I’ll squeal with excitement. But in the meantime, we can’t be surprised to get caught up in the tiny details and red herrings that try to throw us off course. We know the ending. When things look like they suck, we know it won’t end this way. We know who the victor is.
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
