Our stories...

Jesus had just ascended to Heaven with witnesses watching.

Acts 1:10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  11.  "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Cool right?!  I often think about how amazing it would be to be here when Jesus returns.  It is going to be something!  I am sure there are many other more flowery, awesome words I could use to describe that moment.  I guess I am not having a very flowery morning, lol.

The Bible records so much information.  Of course, it is a pretty long, large book, often feeling very daunting.  I love it's stories though.  I love the record it gives of the Jesus we trust in, the God who saves, the God who has redeemed and still redeems.  I love that God's story is so long and goes back through so much history in time and that we can trust Him because we can see/read what He has already done.  I love that each time I read the Bible I see something new, something I didn't know before.  I love that each time I read I remember more and more of what God wanted us to know and it actually sticks in my brain.

I love that He is continuing to write our stories and that the story of Jesus is not finished yet.  He finished what He came to do at the Cross and now we are waiting for His triumphant return, to set this broken world right again.  Francesca Battestelli has a song called "Write Your Story."  The chorus gets me every time because I remember my own story is not finished yet and I wonder what more God will do with me.  The song also makes me think of a few special people in my life whose stories God is writing and how we have seen His hand very clearly.  And it also makes me think of a few people who I love who have not yet given over the writing of their stories to God, although I believe He is there just the same.  I cannot wait to see what will happen with them when they give Him the pen.  And I cannot wait to one day be with Him and look back to see where He was while I was authoring my own story and how He was there, worrying for me, protecting me, loving me through my mistakes and poor choices.  I look back and it is so evident to me that He was there, right beside me the whole time.

I'm an empty page
I'm an open book
Write Your story on my heart
Come on and make Your mark

Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Won't You write Your story on my heart

My prayer for my life and heart is that I really will be an open book so that God will be the One writing the story and I am not trying to take over.  I would love to one day hear Him say that I allowed Him to be the artist and what an amazing story that has turned out to be.