Oh! Brother. Life is not a movie.
Trying to take that one in a lot lately. I have been a planner. Sometimes planning some things at the expense of other things or people (a hard lesson to learn), but always with a goal. Life has a way of disrupting those goals. Life has a way of disrupting the way you think things should be. You make mistakes along the way. You learn your lessons. You swear you can fix everything that you’ve broken and that the world is malleable to your own will. But, what a lesson to learn that it’s not! to take your punches and role with it.
It’s a lesson in learning something about stories. First, you learn, as much as you thought you realized it, that the world isn’t your story. There are lots of stories, and lots of people. Their stories are not yours to manipulate.
Further, putting your story of life as the pinnacle ultimately leads to disappointment. To be sure you are a part of a bigger story, but it is not all about you. Take your lumps, learn your lessons, and see how you can move on and not make those same mistakes again. We are not condemned to relive them. You may not get to apply your lessons the way you want, but new life springs and you can live your story there and as part of a bigger story. It is helpful to have perspective.
In Colossians 1, Paul makes the statement that the suffering that he has gone through for those believers is really filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s suffering. Sounds maybe arrogant or controversial. But it does give some perspective. The story isn’t over! We are living something bigger. This does not discount our stories, but they are part of that bigger story.
Take your lumps. Learn your lessons. Live them out in the ways that life allows you. You may not get to reconcile the things you want (even if you think you can make everything better... sometimes it isn't up to just you), and that may just be a hard lesson. Life doesn’t always go the way you want. But there is a bigger story, and it is in the continual living in the suffering and resurrection. There is new life and love and hope and opportunities. Maybe not in the way you wanted (it may cause you to reprioritize everything) but new life springs up when you least expect it!
Also I am playing a sort set Friday at the “El Molino” house @ 8. If you live in LA, come out! If you live elsewhere, fly out! - 871 n el Molino, Pasadena, CA.
1 comment:
Tim, i in fact do like this song! Anything with lap steel wins extra points in my book.
And the subject matter, well, we talked about that the other day, and i maintain that it is a continual realization for someone as dense as me.
I am also loving so many of the spring/resurrection/seasonal metaphors i am encountering lately. So, thanks for contributing.
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