Living a Better Story

I like watching movies. And while I specifically like movies that have action, I am also a firm believer that everyone enjoys a good love story. For example, the first time I watched the Notebook I was in a dorm full of male athletes; by the end of the film there was not one dry eye. There is just something about the last scene when Alli remembers Noah, forgets him, screams as he tries to comfort her, and they later [spoiler alert] die together in their sleep. That makes for a good story.

Needless to say, I'm an emotional movie watcher. I often find myself tearing up even in the most action packed movies. I even cry while reading books or stories online. But not until just recently did I stop to wonder why I cry while reading or watching a movie. 

Years ago I read a few of Donald Miller's books, which led me to follow Storyline blog. Many of the posts on the blog are centered on what makes a good story and how we need to live a better story, so naturally I started to read more about stories and the characteristics of a good story.

During this period of research, I was just starting to figure out what career path I wanted to take. I knew that in every good story the main character wants something, so I started dreaming about all the things I wanted to do and accomplish. Here is a short list of them:

• Live in a big city, like NYC or LA
• Live in Africa
• Learn how to speak Spanish and French
• Play Professional Baseball
• Publish a best selling book
• Pastor a giant church where members are seriously passionate about Jesus
• Be in a movie

I could end up doing all of these things (although some tasks are more realistic than others). Occasionally I look for job openings in various areas of the world, and for local baseball tryouts. I even try to learn foreign languages from the students I work with (I know six words in Swahili, seven words in French, and three phrases in Spanish). 

But if I'm being honest, all of my dreams and desires seem so far away and it makes me feel stuck. I don't feel stuck because my life sucks; I have a beautiful, amazing wife, a wonderful newborn son, I get to teach at a diverse school, and I work for a thriving church. I just think of how cool it must have been for Pee Wee Reese as he hugged Jackie Robinson in front of a huge crowd. That was a big piece of history that paved the way for other African American athletes. I just long to be a part of something bigger. 

I feel stuck because I can't see the bigger picture.

God created us for something more, something big. But somehow we get lost in the mundane. The job, the cleaning, the bills, the sleep. Jesus tells us that we will do greater works than He did (John 14:12), but when do those works start?

This wasn’t Jewish hyperbole, because when we read into the books of Acts, Romans and beyond it becomes clear that the disciples really grabbed hold of this promise (as well as others like it) to heal people, perform wonders and various other miracles, as well as reconciling people to God, just as Jesus did when He was with them. The disciples were living out a great story that Jesus invited them into. 

They put all of their eggs in the Jesus basket. When everyone else was holding back to see if Jesus was really the Messiah, they gave 100%. Even when it went in the face of everything they had learned, they said ‘you have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”(See Mark 10:25-28, and John 6:21-68). 

I get stuck at this part. I tell myself that I am completely following Jesus, but there is always a part of me that I hold back because of the messy house and the reality of the monthly bills. Not only that, but sometimes I read the word of God and say, “this is a hard saying, who can listen to it?’ (John 6:60). I gloss over it and pick the Scriptures I want to listen to more closely. In my mind I say as the disciples said, ‘you have the words of eternal life…. And [I] have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’ but in my heart I say, ‘It's too risky and too hard to do everything He says, so I’ll just live a comfortable life just like everyone else.’

But no good story has ever had a main character that was comfortable the whole time. 

Jesus wasn’t comfortable. He took our sins upon himself, and died a horrible death. But He was also raised from the dead. Upon His resurrection, the invitation to join His story was released to everyone in the world. 

Jesus has a grand adventure planned for every single person that puts all their eggs in His basket. It's time we stopped being comfortable with the mundane and started to embrace Him as He is, the Savior of the world. 

It will not be comfortable, and it may not always be safe, but living a good story never is.

I'm challenging myself to start living a better story. The story that God planned for me. A story worthy of conflict. A story that will allow me to speak Gods grace, love and peace into a mundane world.

I hope you will accept the challenge with me.  

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