Even if you’re still writing your
memoir, you can begin planning your Grand
Finale—your conclusion, or postscript, or epilogue. Whatever you call it, it could be the most powerful part of your memoir.
Your Grand Finale gives you an opportunity
to highlight the most important points,
those messages you want your readers to treasure and incorporate into their own
lives.
If, like most of us here at SM 101,
your memoir’s purpose is based on Bible verses like Deuteronomy 4:9—
Always remember what you’ve seen God do
for you
and be sure to tell your children and
grandchildren!
—then craft a Grand Finale that celebrates God in a personal way.
I have lots of ideas for your Grand
Finale, but let’s start with one of the easier ways to craft your
memoir’s ending: a fill-in-the-blank
exercise using Psalm 136, a magnificent
song of praise to God.
In the first nine verses, praise focuses
on God the Creator of all:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by His understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His
love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
I suggest you include those first nine verses
as-is because, starting with verse ten, you can customize the rest of the psalm
for your family.
Here’s what I mean:
Starting with verse ten, praise focuses
on God who is personally involved with
His children—their families, their daily comings and goings, and the span
and purposes of their lives.
For example, those next few verses
praise God for bringing Israel out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea, and leading
them through the desert wilderness. It then recounts the many additional ways
God showed His love and faithfulness to His people, Israel.
Your customized version
of Psalm 136 would look something like this, (with you filling in the blanks,
below, with ways God guided your family):
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by His understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His
love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
_______________________________________
His love endures forever.
_______________________________________
His
love endures forever.
_______________________________________
His love endures forever.
_______________________________________
His love endures forever.…
…and so on.
Starting with verse ten, you might want
to go back several generations, especially if, for example, your family survived
the Holocaust, or the infamous Clearances in Scotland, or the potato famine in
Ireland.
Your Grand Finale will
likely consist of more than a paraphrase of Psalm 136, but including it can help
your kids, grandkids, and other family members recognize they’re part of God’s family, part of something much bigger than
themselves and their generation.
Linda, what a lovely way to craft a "grand finale!" However, my finale is already crafted and is based on the verse 2 Corinthians 12:9, where God tells Paul, "My grace is sufficient." I can't wait until my memoir is finished so I can share that part with the world! Thanks for a worthwhile and timely post.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sherrey
http://sowingseedsofgrace.com
Sherrey, so many people will find blessing and hope and GRACE by reading your memoir. Bless you for writing it. God is using and will keep using your words and messages in mighty ways!
DeleteLinda