I'm now back home from a recent mission trip to Peru. It reminded me that bookends matter.

The first day of ministry was extremely encouraging, meaningful, and productive. We had opportunities to connect with people, share the vision of Oración al Paso (www.drivethruprayer.com), and see God work through His people.

Then came the middle when the momentum of the beginning gave way to the realities of the journey.

Three of us on the team became seriously ill from a foodborne pathogen. This brought numerous challenges, delays, disappointments and unmet expectations. Two days in particular felt like a drought. The fruit of our effort was difficult to find.

Then came the glorious ending that produced so much good fruit.

Once again, we experienced productive ministry, meaningful connections, encouraging conversations, and reminders that God was at work even when we couldn't always see it.

Life feels the same way. Relationships have bookends. Careers have bookends. Ministry has bookends. Life has bookends.

Quite often, we remember how something began and how it ended, but we underestimate the importance of persevering through everything between.

A marriage can begin with excitement, pass through difficult seasons, and finish with a depth of love that could never have existed without the journey through the many peaks and valleys.

A friendship can experience misunderstandings and distance yet find renewed strength.

A ministry can experience tremendous momentum, encounter a prolonged season of difficulty, and then discover new opportunities and fresh fruitfulness.

The middle doesn't always define the story. Sometimes the beginning gives us the vision, the middle tests our commitment, and the ending reminds us why we started.

Of course, we shouldn't ignore the lessons or responsibilities of the middle journey. Some things need to change, some relationships need attention, and some challenges require difficult decisions.

We shouldn't allow a few difficult chapters to erase the value of the entire book. As the apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:9, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

The beginning gives us something to celebrate. The middle gives us something to overcome. The ending gives us something to remember because a difficult middle doesn't necessarily mean a disappointing ending.

Don't judge the entire book by its middle chapters. Don't abandon a good story just because you've reached a difficult chapter.

Never underestimate the importance of good bookends.

Sometimes faithfulness is simply refusing to close the book before God has finished writing.

My takeaway from my trip is that we should celebrate good beginnings. We must persevere through the difficult between. We are called to remain faithful throughout so that we can experience the wonderful possibilities of the ending.