The Beauty of His Story

If you spend enough time with me, you’ll eventually discover that I am a literature geek. Actually, depending on the path of our conversation, it might not take you that long to figure it out. I’m the one who will make reference to my favorites whenever possible. I started reading at the age of 3 and never really stopped. My mom used to tell me to put down my book and go outside. I was the kid who stayed up late reading under the covers… well for me it was in the little closet in my room that had a light in it.

I’m a sucker for a good story with good characters and a good ending. I tend to get emotionally invested (a shocker for those who know me, I’m sure!) and have been known to want to throw a book across the room when things aren’t going well (a sign of a REALLY good book, in my opinion). But I also know that I wouldn’t love it as much without the conflict, the seemingly insurmountable odds, the evil that fights so hard to overcome the good.

Perhaps that’s why I struggle so much with the story that God is writing in my own life. I’ve had days with those “throw the book across the room” moments. Those are the moments when I’m frustrated with the author and can’t possibly believe that anything good will happen again. And then there are the days when I suddenly realize the last few chapters have been preparing me for this chapter in particular. It’s like reading a book for the first time, when you have no idea what will happen, or how, or when.

But just like any good book, there are themes running through this story. 

Not just my story but all of history. Themes like light & darkness, good & evil, creation & destruction, hope & despair, life & death, love & hate, bondage & freedom. Actually, those are pretty much the same themes that show up in all the books I love most. And I love those books because the good side usually wins. Want to know the best thing about God? He’s an author intent on the good side getting total victory.

It wasn’t always like this. The story started long before time began with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit hangin’ out with the angels. No opposites. No conflict. Perfect harmony.

And then Satan decided he wanted to be God.

“I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.

I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.

I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.”

(Isaiah 14:13-14, NLT)

And thus enters conflict.

God winds up kicking Satan out of heaven (Luke 10:18), so Satan sets up his own kingdom. When God creates the earth and human beings, Satan immediately seeks to make it his. Just like any good book, the story that God is writing has opposite themes fighting for control. In the Chronicles of Narnia, we have Aslan and the White Witch. In Harry Potter, it’s Harry and Voldemort. In The Hunger Games, it’s Katniss and the Districts versus the Capitol. In Lord of the Rings, it’s Frodo and Sauron. Characters and powers with opposite goals in mind. It wouldn’t be a good story without them.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to explore those competing themes, to learn more about the story God is writing. Perhaps we’ll learn about the author as we do so. After all, you can tell quite a bit about a person by the stories that they write.