This past weekend I went to my brother’s church. I have always LOVED Palm Sunday. I mean, who doesn’t love getting a palm branch (we used to have HUGE palm branches growing up…or maybe I was just really small) and hearing the story about Jesus’ praise “HOSANNA, HOSANNA” being sang out throughout Jerusalem. Yes, we all know what is going to happen on Friday but we also know what is going to happen the following Sunday. We know the big picture…the WHOLE STORY. We know that God’s story is bigger and better than any story we could come up with.
The speaker talked about the people who changed their tune from praising Jesus to wanting to crucify Jesus and how they did not know the whole story. He said this: “They were stuck in a story that they couldn’t see beyond. They were stuck in their own story and they only understood the possibilities of a way out…for most of them there was one option.” How many times am I stuck in a story that I can’t see beyond? How many times am I in a situation where it seems like there is only one possibility and out of left field comes God and like a big whack on the forehead shows me the bigger and better picture? When will I learn?
John 3:16 was read on Sunday. Yes, the tried and true verse of the Bible. We’ve all heard it, we’ve all read it, we’ve all said it. But after 24 years of hearing this verse something finally clicked…for God so loved the WORLD. I know that. I’ve known that for years…but do I actually understand it? Here I am, stuck in my own story…my little Americanized version of life and I can’t see past it to the detail that God loves the WORLD. His story did not stop in Jerusalem or Israel…He wanted to bring His love and hope to the whole entire World…because he LOVES it. Wow. His love is so much bigger and better than I can imagine.
For so long I thought my story was going to be simple…comfortable…normal. Then that whack came smacking down on my forehead and I finally looked out past my own story to see God’s STORY…the one where I leave my boat and follow Him.
And so, my prayer is this…Lord, please help me to love like You…help me to look past my story and see the story that You have for me. The one that is bigger and better than I can imagine.
