Story Arc

My house got a facelift!

When I was a child our family read missionary biography after Christian hero biography after epic faith story. Each was a true tale of faith giants choosing hard paths, forgiving the unforgivable, and walking with integrity the road of an extreme love for the gospel of Jesus and the work of Christ. 

I was drawn to these stories and soon began to realize I could respond to life’s trials like they did before me, with a faith that moved the mountains of fear, resentment and selfish safety. 

My life seemed mundane but I was being tried in the fires of motherhood, marriage and church community. It was good and it was hard, and I did nothing well except persevere.

Inevitably, I soon faced the larger questions of who I was, and who I was going to be. I walk this road of life with friends and counselors by my side, faithful and Spirit filled women, with knowledge of boundaries to help keep me safe and a heart planted in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. 

Do not resist an evil person, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who persecute you. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the MostHigh, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful. 

There are a lot of scriptures that could guide my way these days but I’ve landed here for years. I consider the body of scripture, Old and New, all the stories of a God who pursues relationship with a repeatedly forgetful and rebellious people.   

Hosea comes to mind, and David refusing to exact revenge, leaving his enemies alive to pursue him in the caves and wilderness another day. Jesus ate with sinners and rebuked the rule following Pharisees, washed Judas’ feet. He saw past behaviors to hearts. His purposes extended past perceptions. This is the love of Christ that compels me and the heart posture that guides me. 

The fruit of harsh judgements, angry limitations, hard hearts and resentful posturing only ever leads to withering branches drying on the vine. I have never seen this response bring about the fruit of the Holy Spirit in either the exactor of the judgement or in the life of the judged. I trust God to do his work of righting wrongs, bringing justice, inviting repentance. 

When I read the New Testament I cast off old tendencies toward Pharisee-ism and hear the heart of Jesus encourage me to chose a bigger storyline, absent of penal justifications, but full of ridiculous grace and love.

How often do we as the people of God forget our primary calling to love? It sounds so elementary as to be diminished and mocked by some camps. Love is not enough. It’s too easy. 

But no.

It’s not easy.

Not the kind of spirit led, self sacrificing, enemy-loving LOVE. 

I hope someday it is said about me that I threw caution to the wind, but the wind was the Holy Spirit and He carried me.

That is the BIG epic story I want my life to emulate. A heart that remains soft to both those who have hurt me and to my God. That is the faith that moves my mountains and the story arc I want to be written someday for others to read.