You Don’t Need the Ending to Share the Story

For years, I delayed publishing From Success to Surrender. The manuscript had been written in some form long before it was finally released, but I just couldn’t seem to let it go. Looking back now, I realize I wasn’t really waiting for better timing as much as I was waiting for a better ending. I wanted to reach the mountaintop first. I wanted to look back at the valley from a safe distance and be able to say, “Here’s what God did. Here’s how everything worked out.” It felt easier to tell the story once I knew how it ended.

I think that’s pretty natural, isn’t it? We all prefer stories with clean endings. We like the testimony after the healing, the breakthrough after the struggle, and the lesson after the uncertainty has passed. There’s something comforting about being able to tie everything together with a nice bow. But the longer I’ve walked with God, the more I’ve realized that’s often not how He works.

In 2023, I found myself in another valley. I had stepped into a leadership role that seemed to fit everything God had been shaping in me over the previous several years. It felt connected to my calling, my gifting, and the work I believed He had prepared me for. Then, unexpectedly, that season came to an end as well. Once again, I was asking God what He was doing and why the path kept unfolding differently than I expected.

During that season, I sensed Him asking me a question that I couldn’t shake: “What is more important—the dream or Me?” It was one of those questions that doesn’t really need an explanation because you immediately know why He’s asking it. It brought me back to the heart of surrender.

It also brought me back to the book.

With the encouragement of a few friends, I slowly began to realize I didn’t need to wait until I had everything figured out before sharing the story. The journey itself mattered. The wrestling mattered. The obedience mattered. The uncertainty mattered. The daily dependence mattered. Maybe the story didn’t need to be finished for it to be useful after all.

That realization came back to me recently while Christopher and I were talking about the audiobook. As he narrated the book, he recognized something similar in his own life. He and Michelle have walked through a long and difficult health journey, and he admitted that one of the reasons he hasn’t shared much lately is because he’s been waiting for resolution. He wanted to be able to say, “Here’s what happened. Here’s how God healed us. Here’s the lesson.” I smiled because I knew exactly what he meant.

It’s vulnerable to speak from the middle of the story. It’s much easier to share once the pain is behind you and the testimony feels complete. It’s harder to say, “I don’t have all the answers yet, but here’s what God is teaching me today.”

And yet, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s often the story people need most.

Sometimes people don’t need our finished story nearly as much as they need our honest one. They need to know they’re not the only ones still waiting. They need to know that faith can exist in the middle of unanswered questions. They need to know that surrender isn’t a one-time decision you make after everything finally makes sense. It’s a daily posture you learn while the story is still unfolding.

During our conversation, Christopher said something that has stayed with me ever since. He said, “The journey is inspirational in and of itself.”

I think he’s right.

The unfinished journey may never feel as compelling as the polished testimony, but it’s often where the deepest ministry happens. When we’re honest about what God is doing in the middle, we quietly give other people permission to keep trusting Him in the middle of their own stories.

Looking back, I’m grateful I eventually released the book. Not because every question had been answered. Not because every dream had unfolded the way I imagined. But because God’s faithfulness was already evident, even while the story was still being written.

Maybe that’s true for you too.

Maybe there’s a story you’ve been hesitant to share because you’re waiting for the breakthrough, the healing, the reconciliation, the financial turnaround, or simply the clarity to explain what God has been doing.

There may be wisdom in waiting.

But there may also be someone who needs the encouragement of your unfinished obedience.

You don’t have to pretend the story is complete.

You simply have to be faithful with the part God has entrusted to you today.

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Christopher and I talk more about this in our full conversation—why I waited so long to publish the book, why he has wrestled with sharing parts of his own health journey, and why the unfinished story still matters.

Watch the full conversation here → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuLi0lyvEPw

Listen to the audiobook here → https://a.co/d/058qETk9