Give me a happy ending

There was a movie in the early 1980's called "The Pirate Movie", starred Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins, yes it was cheesy but i always liked it and every once in a while you can catch it on.  At the end of the movie pirates are taking over and everything looks as if it is falling apart, aka nothing is ending right.  Kristy McNichol stops everyone and yells, "hey I want a happy ending"; then the movie breaks into this song:

It's what everyone wants right?  A happy ending, we want everything to work out just like, well, in the movies.

The guy gets the girl.
The bad guy is caught.
Good wins over evil.
The star lands the dream job.
The sick get better.
everything turns out...... perfect.

Big problem is, It doesn't always work that way. 

I was thinking about this today, do you remember in the book of Daniel where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the golden statue, and the punishment was death (thrown into fiery furnace).  Nebuchadnezzar brought them before him and gave them a second chance to worship the golden statue, their response to him was as follows:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ^17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ^18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Da 3:16-18)

Their faith is awesome isn't it, "if He doesn't, we still will not serve or worship your statue".  Now of course the bible records that the king gets so mad he heats that furnace up much much higher and throws them in, and yes you guessed it God saves them, after being in the fire, they are pulled out afterwards with not even smelling like fire.  A happy ending.  It's what we want.

I was wondering today, what if God didn't rescue them, what if they opened the door and the three where reduced to just ashes, what if it wasn't a happy ending?  What if they didn't get what they wanted,  is He still God?  of course He is, but is He now the God of Sad ending instead of Happy ending?  Life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to.  We don't always get what we want.  We don't always get a happy ending.  The guy doesn't always get the girl.  The bad guy doesn't always get caught.  We don't always get the dream job.  We don't always get to retire on a tropical Island (that's my dream btw).  Some how in the midst of all that we have to remember God could do it, He has the power to do it, and He controls everything.  So why doesn't He?  the answer is simple but yet profound:  it's not in His nor my best interest.  God always works things out for His kingdom and our best interest, but for us sometimes that is something totally different than what we expected or wanted.

The happy ending is this:  God loves you, He sent His son to die for you, and His gift to you is eternal life.  That my friend is the real happy ending.

Have a wonderful day,
Chris