The Greater Story

Just recently as I was doing another chapter in my study book Redeemed. The Author was discussing her generational line being filled with storytellers and how she inherited that trait. Then she asked this question. Is God the Greater in your story? Does our story tell the greater story of God? As I was thinking on that question, I began reminiscing on certain parts of my life and different chapters in my own story. The first thing I remembered was the dreams of what I wanted to be as a little girl. My dreams weren’t that of being a Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, or even a Nurse. My dreams were this: I wanted to grow up, get married and have children. I wanted four children, two boys and twin girls with blue eyes and white hair. I wanted the large farm house on a hill with a white picket fence. Well, I am very much married to a wonderful man who loves me greater than I could have imagined, and I have amazing children and the most beautiful grandchildren now, but Lord knows that I didn’t get there in the order of my dreams. I had kids, got married, got divorced, got married again, and then some years later I decided it was time to grow up.

The growing up process took many years. So many mistakes were made along the way, but even through those mistakes God knew His plans for me. He already knew the when, the what and the where’s that He was placing in my life as a guide. When I was convinced that I was alone, He was preparing for me to be surrounded. Surrounded by people who heard the ugly parts of my life, but chose to stick around and love me anyway. They saw in me Gods purpose and they chose to sow into my life and help me to see who He was for me. Each day that goes by I am amazed at how large my Christ centered family has grown and continues to grow. I was very close to forty years old before I began seeing God’s hand moving in my life. Not because God waited forty years to show me, but because I was too blind to follow, and too deaf to listen. Over time it became evident that He had strategically designed every step along my path. From people who would become a visual light in my darkness, to people who were being unknowingly used to teach me life lessons. People who betrayed me and I had to learn how to trust again, to people who stole from me and I had to learn how to give again. Through every situation in my life I had to know and accept that God’s hand had full control over my circumstances and that His will would be done.

A couple years back a very good friend of mine was dying of cancer in the most horrific way. I had to watch her suffer and hear her screams as the medication was no longer strong enough to give her relief. I couldn’t understand God’s purpose for her suffering as she screamed in pain even as she was unconscious. I was so very angry at Him for allowing it. He is the Almighty God and I was angry at Him. I was so angry that I didn’t want to study, worship or even talk to Him. Even in my anger of Him, He still loved me. Deep inside I knew that her death and suffering wasn’t God’s fault and that it’s the result of living in a sin-cursed world. But when suffering becomes personal, we wonder why God would allow us to suffer in this manner, and why He wouldn’t stop it. God’s Word never promises Christians an easy and pain-free life. Actually, we’re promised that we will have trouble and hardship in this world. John 16:33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. The difference is the hope and help we have in Christ, and I had to seek His forgiveness for blaming Him and being so angry at Him. He is such a loving Father and I can’t imagine His heartache when His children suffer.

It was He I needed to lean on and trust, but many of us have put so much faith in humanity that when people fail us or disappoint us, or even die on us, we tend to stop trusting. I had to completely surrender to the fact that nothing in my life was about me. He designed it all, He planned it all. From our disasters to our greatest achievements, they are all His design. They are all stepping stones that God has placed along our way to show us that He is Greater. That He has ordained every single moment in our lives. When I feel sorrow, I know He is sad with me. But I also know that He has designed that very moment when I will no longer feel that sadness. My Joy, My Pain, My Laughter and My Tears are all for His Glory. My tears of sorrow I give to Him, my tears of joy have come from Him. Is my life Glorifying who He is even in tragedy? Is He the Greater in my story? I think back at the times of my life that I wasn’t living for Christ and I can remember so many times that I have been rescued from harm. In a physical and an emotional sense.

Living my life not really understanding that pain has a domino effect. Hurting people always hurt people. It’s the negative part of the circle of life. Before Christ, I had spent many years hurting people in various ways. Through having affairs against my husband, to drinking constantly and neglecting my children. None of which are acceptable, but all have been redeemable. So, What’s the Greater story in my life? Is it the abuse and the pain of my childhood? The destruction of my first marriage? Or the pain I’ve caused others? All of those events are just a part of my story, but they are a very minute part of an even greater story. The greatest part of my story lies within the Savior who saved me by Grace and called me His own. He healed from my pain, He forgave me of my sins and He set my feet on the solid foundation of His word. I have been predestined to live out His will in my life. I am His chosen one.

Before I was born, He knew me. He knew of every bad choice I was going to make and He still called me by name. There was a time in years past that I saw myself as ruined, filled with an ugly sinful nature and submerged in shame, but God! He called me as His own. He has straightened my crooked path and set my feet on solid ground. He has taken my brokenness and turned it into a testimony. He has turn my shame into His Glory. He has made me Beautiful and Blameless in His sight. But, when you grow up in a lifestyle filled with physical, emotional and sexual abuse, you tend to feel guilty and shameful. As if you were the one at fault. Having no control over those circumstances has created a characteristic in me that makes me want to guarantee my own control of things.

 

If I’m being real with you, having control of things has been the hardest thing for me to let go of. In Christ I have failed to trust Him at times. There are days that my flesh takes over and I think I can do this thing called life on my own, but His Grace was and still is greater than my faults. His love runs much deeper than my imagination can even travel. He knows my thoughts before I even think them. He knows how deep my desire goes to serve Him.

Do you see where I am going with this? We serve a God whose story for us is not finished. Even after we’ve passed on our stories are still being told for generations to come. He is and always will be the greatness in our stories. He is Greater! Because of who He is, I will never again be who I was. The future chapters in my book will always be greater than the previous. Not because I’ll never experience hurt and pain anymore, but because I now know who to run too. I know who’s name to call on when I’m in trouble. If I experience more darkness, I’ll know to run to the light. It may be a book about my life, but my life is God’s story. When we realize that He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, then we will be more than anxious to give Him all the Glory, all the Honor and all the Praise. Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Children of God �" Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior will always be the Greater of our Story. I want my life to always tell God’s Story!

Let me end with these questions for you to think on…. Is Christ The Greater In Your Story? Does your life tell God’s story?