As I was reading through "Sacred Romance" there were so many things running through my head--so many things I nodded in agreement with, and so many things I longed for to be true, but felt as if there was a disconnect. My perception was off and I knew it…I just didn't know how to adjust it to make it correct. That was, until I read the most recent chapter. I read the pages talking about how we long to be part of a bigger story, but get sucked into our own smaller stories when things don't go the way we want them to go. As I read I longed to read faster and faster, and I prayed hard for clarity and understanding and real-life application of what I was reading because I knew that somewhere, hidden in this dialect something would click. It had to!
And then... it did. As I read, the author redirected my focus to discover who the true central character was in this story I was so trying to be a part of, and it wasn't me--It was God, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit. And the moment I realized this, a monumental shift occurred in my mind and in my spirit--no wonder I felt like my life had no purpose!! I finally saw that I was trying to make this story about how the world and it's story fit into my own when in reality--but it's me who is fitting into a reality that has been here far longer, and whose ending is far more important than my own.
Like the Pevensie children who were thrust into this tale of Narnia. They were dropped into the middle of a foreign land, whose history and future, unbeknownst to them, was reliant on the role and purpose they'd been sent to fulfill. Like the Power Rangers who were summoned to a place unknown, by a being unknown, to fight a battle that had been raging behind the scenes for centuries, and now it was their turn to save the universe. Like Ted from 'The Lorax' who just wants to find a tree to woo a girl, and winds up being the 'unless' that could turn around the fate of the entire planet. Mary Kathrine form 'Epic' who simply came to live with her crazy father, only to be shrunk by magic, and flown off on a bird in the possession of a 'pod' which apparently affects the entire outcome of the Leaf People, who apparently protect the forest. Katniss Everdeen was simply doing what she knew best, not openly defying the government or trying to start a rebellion, but she does. And suddenly, life is no longer just about staying alive, it's about the fate of the people of her 12 Districts who now look to her as a beacon of hope, a reason to stand and fight.
None of these people asked for their role. Not one. None of these roles are safe. None of them 'trained' for their part. There were no auditions, no second takes, no rehearsals, just a live production, and it's do or die. These common men/women are forced into a life or death (of an entire world/civilization/etc. no pressure!) situation. They must embrace their role as Kings and Queens, Fighters, heroes, rebels, etc. They must stand up against this force of evil that has been around waaay longer than they have, who knows more than they do, and seems to consistenly have the upper-hand.
Whaaaa???
They are swept up into this tale of heroics, a tale that has been being told for centuries behind their backs--stories unbeknownst until they are dropped in the center, and expected to play a crucial role. It speaks to our hearts, doesn't it? You long to be a part of something like this, don't we? But not really…we prefer our safe, secure, happy, small lives. Lives of mundane dissatisfaction--not blatant unhappiness, but very, perfectly ordinary. And we're ok with it. No pressure, no demands, just being.
But this just being is not what we have been called to…Though we are not the main characters, and this story is not just about us, we are very much a part of it. We can play a crucial role, a role crafted specifically for us, we cannot fail, if we so choose.
No comments:
Post a Comment