The greatest story is about brave love. An intense, unchanging God who is ready to face any danger or pain crourageously. A love that came into the darkest night in the bramble of an overgrown forest. A love that came to a broken and bleeding heart on the ground and healed it. Its a story of humility, pain, suffering and relentless pursuing.
The God above all other gods, the Name above all other names, created a race called humanity, in the image of Himself. Agape Love filled the atmosphere. Love gives the freedom of choice and his beloved children chose rebellion, and separation ensued. No light, no hope, no love.
But the God above all other gods was a God of love. And so he pursued brave love. And so he declared to the angels and the demons, he cried out to all of creation, "I will restore this." And the Storyteller devised a plan of redemption and restoration laced together with love. He chose the flawed humanity to be his main characters. He chose you. The Storyteller knew something had to die to eliminate the death in the world, to breath life back. For a while the animals sufficed his wrath, but they were not perfect, they were flawed, so he chose brave love. He chose his son, knowing he would be rejected, knowing all would not accept His free gift of love. But we were worth it. He wanted to make us worthy.
His perfect son died a painful death as all of humanity mocked him and flaunted their sins, the reason for his death. And the heartbroken Storyteller turned his back for what had become of his story.
But a smile formed across his face as he reminded himself where the story was headed. For three days, the world was dark, hope had been murdered, the world mourned. But Sunday was coming. And Jesus rose out of his grave clothes and defeated Death. And said, "I love them more." He promised us His Spirit to live within us. Who speaks to us, guides us, loves us, reassures us, heals us.
Then the Storyteller wrote us in, he handed the pens to us, told us his plans and whispered promises of how we could be a part in his story of redemption. We could tell his children that hope didn't stay dead. Hope rose again, it isn't about works, it isn't about finding another god to satisfy every need. It was about being loved bravely and loving bravely in return.
You are a part of the greatest story. You. Not just the missionary you support, your pastor or the one who works in youth ministry. You are a part of his greatest story.
I love being a character in His story. As my time here in Nicaragua comes to a close I hear my Author telling me, "when you go home, your role is just as important." He has given me tasks, he has given me a heart for the next step in my life and I am excited to be the pen in the next part of my story, listening to my Writer as he tells me which way to go, what to do, what to say.
My heart longs to know the ending but my hands and feet long for the now. This past week in Nicaragua, I've done a variety of things, that were paragraphs and sentences in someone else's story. I held a tiny baby and told her mom she was beautiful, told her she was worth it with my actions, and her eyes looked lighter than they did when I first met her. Her story is altered. So many memories of how others showed me those thing that burn in my head and I know it was worth it.
I was obedient to my Author and I know I was written in.
And I trust him, I love him, I know him.
The best part of having a glimpse of the missionary life is the way it has stolen my breath, stolen my heart. Somehow, it hurts ans is abaolutley wonderful in each moment. Because I have learned something, I have learned that when stories collide, the stars shine a little bit brighter. When lives intermingle, the flowers open wider. And sometimes I wonder how out of all the 6 billion people on this planet, the storyteller sees every one, and he cares deeply about every single one. And He has sent me. He has sent you.
So, I want to invite you with me, let's live the greatest story. One where we look back and are proud of what we have done.
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