Making Our Story Count
For we spend our years as a tale that is told. - Psalm 90:9
As we wrap up our series on "Once Upon a Time," we've discovered that real life has both similarities and differences to fairy tales. We've explored how God writes better stories than the Grimm Brothers and how our struggles aren't always resolved with a wave of a magic wand. But today, let's focus on making our life story worth telling. After all, according to our verse, we spend our years as a tale that is told. The question is, what kind of tale are we telling?
Like any good story, our lives have a beginning, middle, and end. But unlike fictional tales, we're writing ours in real time, and we don't get to edit the previous chapters. So, how do we ensure our story is worth telling?
Reshaped, Not Replaced
My husband is quite the handyman. Give him a problem to solve or something to build, and he'll figure out a way to make it happen. So, when he decided to build his own sound system a few months ago, I wasn't surprised. What did surprise me was how much time and effort went into the planning stages.
For weeks, Jason pored over diagrams, measurements, and parts lists. He watched countless YouTube videos about speaker building and sound quality. When he finally had all his supplies, he commandeered the dining room and a portion of the living room (much to my dismay) and began the painstaking process of putting everything together.
At first, he was thrilled with his accomplishment. The speakers looked professional, and they worked—sort of. But it didn't take long before his excitement waned.
Nature Versus Nurture
Tess is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. She has a heart of gold and loves nothing more than being around people.
But there's one thing about Tess that never fails to amaze me. Despite her sweet and tender nature, she's still a terrier through and through. You see, terriers are bred to hunt small animals, and Tess is no exception. When we're out on a walk, and she catches a whiff of a mole in the bushes, it's like a switch flips. She'll dart off into the underbrush, and before I know it, she's got that mole in her mouth, giving it a couple of violent shakes before tossing it back into the bushes.
Let me tell you, it's a scary sight to behold. But Tess is a terrier. Hunting is in her nature. It's who she is. And just like Tess, we Christians have an innate quality that we can't eliminate, no matter how hard we try.
The Greatest Castle Never Built
Last week, Jason and I took some much-needed time off to rest and refresh ourselves. We spent a few days in northern Wales, taking in many sights, including three castles. They were all impressive, but my favourite was Beaumaris Castle. Now, there's a sight to behold! It's a massive fortress on the coast of Wales, with walls that stretch on for what seems like miles. But here's the thing: it was never finished. King Edward I had big plans for this castle but ran out of money before he could see it through to completion, leaving Beaumaris with the title “The Greatest Castle Never Built.” Bummer, right?
Finding Hope and Blessings in God’s Timing
Waiting can be a real test of patience, especially in our fast-paced world where everything seems to be just a click away. But you know what they say - good things come to those who wait. And trust me, God knows how to make us wait.
Think about it - we live in a culture of instant gratification. We want our fast food, our express checkout lanes, and our next-day Amazon deliveries. Waiting is not exactly our strong suit. Yet, time and again, the Lord puts us in the waiting room of life. It's like He's saying, "Hold up, my child. I've got something better for you, but you'll have to wait a bit."