Yesterday, Sue and I shared some important lessons we each have been learning in the midst of challenging circumstances. We thought there might be a few of you who could identify with the struggle and also might be searching for some hope in the midst of it. If you haven’t seen the video yet, you can check that out here.
I mentioned on the video that I would be sharing another lesson I recently have learned, and here it is:
No matter how personal my life’s storyline feels to me, I am NOT the main character. God is.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us so. It says that Jesus is both the Author and the Perfecter of our faith, because He is always the central character. And He is writing a story in which we all have a part. Sometimes He is writing someone else’s critical storyline, and I play just a small part – even if the part feels huge to me. Sometimes he is writing an essential storyline for me, but it involves another person to a heavy degree. It might even tax them greatly, yet I am unaware. Because He is the author, and only He knows how His story fits together. As God tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways . . . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In our finite humanity, we don’t have the capacity to understand all that God is doing, but there is one thing we can know. We can trust Him. God tells us that for those who love Him, He causes all things to work together for the good for those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV) The next time you are confused by life’s events, remember that God is not just authoring the story, He is perfecting it as well. We might not always understand Him, but we can trust Him.
— Linda R. Maynard, © July 2023