Living Beyond Fairytales

Do you sometimes feel like your life has no direction and your days have little purpose? I don’t mean all the time, but every once in a while? You know – you’re minding your own business when all of a sudden that universal joy-sucking question crosses your mind: “What’s the point?” followed closely by: “What’s the use?” Well, get in line. You’re surrounded with a lot of people who also try to come up with a sum total of their life and often feel like it’s somewhere near the square root of nothing. May I remind you of four powerful words: “Once upon a time …” This quintessential quartet set up many of the stories that were read to us at bedtime when we were little. The problem was that they usually appeared in tandem with seven words that formed the typical dénouement of those stories: “And they all lived happily ever after.” Then you grew up. You figured out why those stories were called “fairytales”. They were about places, people, and performances that didn’t exist or never happened. They couldn’t. Real life doesn’t play out that way. It’s too covered with fear, tears, scars, and regret. Sometimes we all live wounded, embarrassed, or disappointed ever after. It’s the sobriety of reality that keeps us from thinking that happiness can form a permanent landfill in our experience. Yet, those four magical opening words still stand true to the story of you. Once upon a time … there was YOU. You have been given a solo shot at playing a part on the historical timeline of human existence. Your life is a story. It’s a powerful story simply because it has the capacity to be part of God’s story. It’s a beautiful story because of the eternal potential within it. It’s a love story because of the redemption God was willing to make happen on your behalf. And it’s a potent story because of the capacity he’s given you to share that love with the other people you meet on this historical timeline. And it’s an endless story because of where your happily ever after will be when you belong to Jesus. You matter. You’re significant. You’re an extension of God’s creative touch in the world. Live that way … regardless of how gritty or nasty the life around you happens to be. And take heart in God’s hope. He made you, He loves you, He purchased you, and He wants to fill you with His power and presence. Once upon a time there IS you … and you’re a divine story from start to finish. © Dr. Tim Kimmel 2012 All Rights Reserved