Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. (James R. Sherman, 19th century English minister.
This oft-repeated quotation may be overlooked because it is so simple and obvious. We often talk about starting over or going back to “square 1,” but that isn’t really possible. Times and circumstances have changed, making a completely new start impossible, but we can pick up where we are, work with renewed energy and purpose, and achieve a promising end.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The desire of the righteous ends only in good (Proverbs 11:23).