Remembering There's A Story - Repost

Reposted from October 5, 2018.

Last September, I wrote the following post three days after a year-long dream was shattered. I didn’t know the next day after writing it, another hardship would hit as tragedy rocked my church with the deaths of two young members in a freak accident.

One year later, I find myself in a new place. Afraid because a similar dream that was crushed is now awakening, and I don’t want to be hurt again. I am a different person now—more free, but more tired. More learned but a bit more confused. More broken but more healed. I have new friends, good friends, and I’ve come to see things about myself that I’ve not seen before. I’m doing hard things, failing, and learning to rest.

I’ve found myself hurting, asking God what my place is, struggling with the hard things of life. I feel others hurt, I want to fix their problems, and sometimes I need to just…stop. Stop trying to control the story God is writing. Let myself be a part of it, but don’t try to write it. I need to trust Him, follow Him, and go into the dark pages, trusting that the beautiful end can only be reached by walking through the terrifying shadows, trusting that I’m not alone. I need to remember there’s a Story. His Story.

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Sometimes life hurts. A lot. But you didn’t need me to tell you that, because you knew it already. We often zero in on the bad things, the things that went wrong, the dreams that got crushed, the “fill in the blank.” And it hurts. And that’s okay.

We forget, though, that there is a Master Storyteller behind the scenes who is, to paraphrase one of my friends, “writing our story.”

Jesus loves stories. He’s been working on history (“His-story” ;)) since the beginning of time. He used them to teach when He was on earth. And then…we stop. We think that the story of the world is over. We forget that we are still in His story and that, even though He’s showed us the end, we still have a part in the middle.

When bad things happen to us, we fight hurt. We run from pain. We ask the Author, “Why?”

If things don’t begin to go better, we get angry. We don’t understand. We’ve forgotten we’re in The Story. We’re on a life road.

When you write, you know the whole story you’re writing. But the characters don’t. Every time you write something painful for a character or story world to endure, it has a purpose that will make the ending that much more beautiful.

The suffering hones the character into that much better of a person. Or, if the character chooses, he or she might decide to let that hardship destroy them.

Please don’t let your trouble destroy you. You’ve got a bigger purpose than you know. Don’t underestimate your importance to this world and to the people around you. This world would not be complete without you.

Maybe you don’t think so, but I heard an author say that if God made any two of us the same, then one of us wouldn’t be necessary.

You are necessary. You’re loved. Remember who’s Story you’re in. He’s working on a beautiful ending that wouldn’t be the same without the difficulties.

Tell Your Heart to Beat Again

Danny Gokey

You're shattered

Like you've never been before

The life you knew

In a thousand pieces on the floor

And words fall short in times like these

When this world drives you to your knees

You think you're never gonna get back

To the you that used to be

Tell your heart to beat again

Close your eyes and breathe it in

Let the shadows fall away

Step into the light of grace

Yesterday's a closing door

You don't live there anymore

Say goodbye to where you've been

And tell your heart to beat again

Beginning

Just let that word wash over you

It's alright now

Love's healing hands have pulled you through

So get back up, take step one

Leave the darkness, feel the sun

Cause your story's far from over

And your journey's just begun

Tell your heart to beat again

Close your eyes and breathe it in

Let the shadows fall away

Step into the light of grace

Yesterday's a closing door

You don't live there anymore

Say goodbye to where you've been

And tell your heart to beat again

Let every heartbreak

And every scar

Be a picture that reminds you

Who has carried you this far

'Cause love sees farther than you ever could

In this moment heaven's working

Everything for your good

Tell your heart to beat again

Close your eyes and breathe it in

Let the shadows fall away

Step into the light of grace

Yesterday's a closing door

You don't live there anymore

Say goodbye to where you've been

And tell your heart to beat again

Your heart to beat again

Beat again

Oh, so tell your heart to beat again

…

Remember who’s Story you’re in. He’s working on a beautiful ending that wouldn’t be the same without the difficulties.

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