stories

So I’m caught up in this thought right now; it's one that I’ve had before. The problem is that, for whatever reason, it's super easy for me to grow numb to its reality. It’s the thought that there’s this story; a story that started before the world existed and continues to this very moment. And within that overall story is millions of other stories, all part of each other in some way. That last part is what gets me stuck … it’s all connected, it’s all intentional, it’s all been written by the same Author. Every single detail! I actually really believe that. But do you ever get hit in the face by what you believe? Do the implications ever stop you in your tracks? Does it ever overwhelm you that this is not a movie or some really intense book … it’s your life!

Knowing the incredible story of God creating this world then sending His Son to redeem what belongs to Him is huge. Huge! But living within that story? I mean, 'there’s the rub'; at least for me. Somehow I manage to creep away from His story. I adopt this mentality that my story is sort of it’s own little thing floating around without anything to control it, that the events in it are random and that I'm often alone in it. I mean, I don’t really think that, but maybe I do – at least sometimes?

So a few things about myself that I think drives me into these thoughts … 1) I love listening 2) I’m overly curious about solving mysteries and 3) I’m compulsive about smoothing things out – no drama and no tension allowed. The problem is that when you listen, you will hear endless stories that don’t make sense, there's lots of drama, and the tension of it all is easily absorbed. In fact, sometimes you don’t even need to listen, because your story is the one that doesn’t make any sense. All that to say, it doesn’t take much for me to honestly feel confused and concerned by the way life plays itself out (for myself and probably even more so for others).

But then there’s this story! And it just gets me every time; especially when I find myself colliding with the Author Himself … And this is where part of my “story” comes in. I don’t know if this can be proven true, but I’ve decided (from a little experience and a lot of observation) that separation is the most painful human experience. Separation can happen a lot of different ways, and I can’t think of one that isn’t deeply painful. I had a moment where it occurred to me that separation was not just a human experience, but that God must experience it too - because it’s the very thing He came to redeem. Christ died so that there would be no more separation between us. Also at this time I was brought to the words in Hebrews that says, “for the joy set before Him, endured the cross.” I've wondered hard over what the joy was that Christ set before Him … and I couldn't help but think that maybe the joy of reconciliation was on His mind. Maybe He was thinking about that moment where separation would be defeated and the overwhelming joy of being together could be experienced. And if there’s truth to that train of thought, then it means that “togetherness” is a huge value on God’s heart. So much so that He felt it was worthy of the cost of His Son’s life in order to redeem it.

Christ died once, but He didn’t stay dead and the ripple of that story is still going strong. Reconciliation is this ever flowing thing that is still being lived out … in me, in you, in us. And I just don’t think God works out reconciliation only to leave us living separated from Him. I think it’s safe to claim that He saved us so that we could be together with Him … and maybe even follow Him (closely!).

Anyways, I’ve been waking up to (and also resting in) this reality in deeper and deeper ways. “Togetherness” is a pretty suggestive term. It means that God and I interact and talk and that I’m actually capable of recognizing His voice. It means He’s real, it means He really loves us, it means He’s good, and it means that our stories, right now in this moment, are unfolding at the sound of His voice.