His Story

We are assured and know that all things

work together and fit into a plan for good 

for those who love God and are called 

according to His design and purpose.

Romans 8:28

This is bedrock, solid foundation,

for how we tell our narrative.

There is a God who walks with us

and has a plan involving good for us.

It is according to His design and purpose.

That is the thesis of our story.

For many, there is a fearful, awesome 

and beautiful collision taking place,

a collision involving reality and truth.

It is a collision of narratives.

There is the godless narrative that

even Christians get wrapped up in.

It is the story of life happening, 

things not turning out like we planned, 

of loss and death and pain.

It is the story of accumulating things

and going at break-neck speed,

and reaching and grasping and hoping

that it will all turn out ok in the end.

And then there is the narrative 

involving Yahweh, the God of creation,

the Holy Trinity--Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

not only witnessing the formation of the earth,

but actively present in every now moment.

We are familiar with this story;

we even bank all that we are on its truth.

But sometimes we get caught in the other.

For this one to be the dominant narrative,

we have to strip away all the false ideas

and the striving and the doing and 

the fear and the masquerading.

Because for many of us, 

these have become our reality.

But He is drawing us to Himself so that

we stop switching between narratives,

at least less than we once did.

When standing in the pressing tension

of what we thought and what actually is,

in the midst of feeling unworthy, angry,

shameful, discouraged and sad--

God says to us, "See, I am here in your midst."

Our union with Him becomes more important

than anything else we see.

We place Him back at the center of our story.

Which makes our story different and

helps others see their story differently.

"All things working together for good."

Even when things are really hard.

This world doesn't need doctrinal debates

or switchback narratives.

They need narrators that tell the story of a God

actively and benevolently involved in now.

A God who has a plan to work 

all things together for good.

A God whose motivation is love.

Because at His very core, He IS love.

"You can either keep digging the channel

or find the actual spring and let it flow

toward you, in you, and from you."

St. Theresa of Avila

He is our life source

and He is always good.

His life and His goodness

become our source of life.

And for everyone our lives touch.

That is the cry of my heart.