Each December our church hands out Advent Family Devotions. The purpose is to begin in Genesis and hit approximately 22 of the major stories/themes in the Bible leading up to Jesus' birth. The stories are familiar, yet tying each of them to the coming Messiah is amazing. Our kids LOVE doing Advent, and it truly has become a highlight of the Christmas season each year.
This year has been a bit different as the Lord has laid on my heart something new. (I love how He does that....takes the "familiar" and turns it into something you have never thought of before.)
"He only writes good stories."
I first heard this simple sentence a few weeks ago from my dear sister-n-law, Megan, as we were talking on the phone one night. They live in China, so having heart to hearts and yet being on the opposite sides of the globe is pretty special. This is something she has repeatedly taught her two (adopted) daughters, who at one point in their young lives found their homes in Chinese orphanages. As the phrase easily rolled off her tongue in reference to a topic entirely different, it penetrated my heart...DEEP! It has remained there ever sense. In fact, I can't get it out of my head.
Do I truly believe that? God ONLY writes good stories.... My head screams no! I have either lived through myself, lived along side of others, or simply been a bystander of some incredibly horrific life events. The loss of your young child, or worse....the loss of FIVE of your children at the same time! Unfathomable pain, loss, heartache, betrayal. Events that even Hollywood couldn't make up.
How then could my sister-n-law so easily teach this to her daughters? Girls who I'm certain will have MANY questions (some very painful) the older they get, regarding their "tragic" beginnings.
Then over Thanksgiving my other sister-n-law, Tamara, absolutely blessed my socks off when she handed me an unexpected gift. A beautiful bracelet. The message ("bullets to blessing" Gen. 50:20) behind the craftsmanship truly brought me to tears. There it was AGAIN! That same message. Apparently the Lord was trying to get my attention with this one.
So as my family has been reading through the Bible each night, this truth has been at the forefront. Keep in mind, these stories are not for the faint of heart. They are not feel good, cute little Bible stories. In fact, they too are filled with tremendous sadness, hardship, tragedy, betrayal... Not sure what could be more unimaginable than Abraham being told to sacrifice his little boy? What about your own brothers selling you as a slave and being unjustly imprisoned?
This is the major theme of the Bible. God wrote a beautiful story. Even though the characters are flawed, and time and time again, it seems evil will triumph...it doesn't. From the very beginning, He has a plan. A plan to redeem. To fix everything that is broken in this world.
As Christmas quickly approaches, I know the busyness of the season can overshadow the very reason we are celebrating. Instead of focusing solely on the birth of Jesus (which is AMAZING!), I encourage you to think back. Think of all the stories that preceded it. Each one, as "tragic" as they were many times, had a purpose. They all had a role to play to set the stage. Then when the timing was perfect, God sends his son, Jesus.
So, does it end at the manger? At the cross? No. The story is not over. He is continuing to redeem. Continuing to make it all right. The Christmas Story is only one of the middle chapters of God's amazing storybook.
Take heart. I pray PEACE and HOPE over the ones reading this right now that are in desperate need of it! Your story is not over. The heartache you are currently living in is but only a "middle chapter." Let this truth sink in your heart: HE ONLY WRITES GOOD STORIES!
He is merely setting the stage...the BEST is yet to come!
