Are You Connected to the Bigger Story?

          This past week our students we started a new series write.rewrite focusing on the stories of our lives.  Here is a snapshot of this series, “We are all drawn to great stories - whether that's on the big screen, small screen, in a book or elsewhere. But we may be completely unaware of one simple truth - that our lives are a story as well. The decisions we make every day are shaping the plot. The things we do, believe and trust determine what is being written. And for many of us, the story we are scripting could be so much more if we let God write, or even rewrite, our story. It’s the story we long for, the one our hearts truly desire.”

Each week includes a discussion question/point that our parents and their students are encouraged to wrestle through together.  The first week’s discussion questions read as follows, “What are some of your favorite stories (in movies, books, etc.)?  What specifically about those stories do you love?  Read Ecclesiastes 3:11.  Do you ever wish your life was “more” than what it is now?  If yes, why?”

My name is Matt and I have a problem.  I love movies of all kinds and have a tendency to buy new ones almost every Tuesday when new releases come out, even if I haven’t seen them yet.”  This was the statement that I had to make shortly after I got married to my wonderful wife.  I have always loved getting a new movie, cracking open the plastic, putting in the DVD player and getting lost in another story for a couple of hours.  Some would classify this as an addiction but for me it was a way of life all through my college years.  However, once my wife entered the picture, I quickly found the need to spend my money more wisely and not accumulate so much debt (and stuff from the movie cases themselves).  But isn’t there just something wonderful about connecting with the character(s) of a movie or book in a way that removes the daily problems and struggles of our lives?  I found this to be true in my own life, especially when I watched movies that told a great story about a hero who always wins of course! 

As a little boy I remember growing up loving the stories that many little boys do about being a hero.  I found myself wanting to dress up like them, defeat the villains, and rescue the damsel in distress almost daily.  As I grew up those same desires were still present in my heart, even though I had to change my wardrobe a little.  (I know that I’m in youth ministry but what would the church think if I showed up one day dressed as a super-hero?)  But despite being an adult for several years now I find myself still drawn to those types of stories.  Why?  I think author John Eldredge described it best in his book, Wild at Heart, when he states “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.  That is how he bears the image of God; that is what God made him to be.”  I know this is true in my own life that when I approach or see something that could potentially harm my family or my own well-being, my blood starts pumping faster and I get excited.  I long to be connected to some grand story of adventure and discovery where my beautiful wife is the grand prize in need of rescuing.  These items connect with my heart deeply and resonate within my soul.  Perhaps this is why I found myself seeking to “lose” myself in movies rather than living my life in a manner that embraces these elements.  Throughout our seven years of marriage there has been numerous times where I have found myself lost in a larger story, fighting battles, living on the cusp of adventure, and rescuing the beauty of my life.  These components of the story connect to my heart and make me feel alive!

Now let’s transition to the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “He has made everything appropriate in its time.  He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”

God created everything perfect in its time and set eternity in our hearts.  I don’t know about you but thinking about eternity is one of those things that used to strike a little bit of fear in me because I struggled with the thought of thinking about something that was larger than me or my own understanding.  However, as I have spent time reflecting on my life I realized that everything is connected and in fact I am a small part in God’s larger story that is unfolding around me daily.  This connection often provides an adventure that rarely unfolds as I plan, a love story between God and His creation (me), and a daily battle of my choices seeking to affirm my relationship with God or running from Him.  As I reached this moment of reflection I found myself realizing that my life was “more” than I had ever dreamed and will continue to be for the remainder of my life so long as I let God lead. 

So what about you, what stories connect with your soul and ignite your passions?  Do you feel as though your life could/should be “more?”  Do you see how you connect to God’s larger story in your life?  My challenge to you this week is to look at what elements of stories connect to your heart and seek to live those out in your personal relationship with God.