The Story – My Lower Story in God’s Upper Story

Last fall, my church congregation began reading through The Story, a chronological abridged version of the Bible. During the series, I had the privilege of guest posting on Gloria Dei’s blog for six weeks, writing about a few of the Old Testament heroes.

I often need to reread my own words, and I’ve been reminded of the lessons I can learn from these men and women in the Old Testament. For the next few weeks, you’ll find these posts here, in their entirety, as first posted on the Gloria Dei blog. My prayer is that they will bless another reader, as well.

My Lower Story in God’s Upper Story

(First posted at Gloria Dei on September 6, 2012)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture, but sometimes I want to ask, “God, my life doesn’t seem to be going all that well right now. Is this what you have planned for me?

Everyday life often doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand why things happen, why people act the way they do, or why something doesn’t work out when I did my very best. I don’t know why some days are so difficult.

But here’s the thing…my life isn’t the complete story. It’s only a piece of God’s story.

Author and pastor Randy Frazee says to understand the Bible, we need to view it with a dual lens, one that allows us to see the Upper Story and the Lower Story. The Upper Story is God’s grand story of something larger—His eternal plans.

The Lower Story is our individual stories of everyday life—the struggles, the joys, the getting through the day-to-day. God’s Upper Story encompasses our Lower Stories.

Since the very beginning, God has wanted to be with us. That’s why He created Adam, and then Eve. He wanted to be with them every day, to share His love and joy with them, and to live with them in a perfect place—the Garden of Eden.

However, God does not force Himself on us. He wants a personal relationship with each of us, not out of obligation, but because we want to be with Him.

Enter free will.

I used to wonder why God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden to begin with. Maybe you have too. In order to want to be in a relationship with God, we have to have the freedom to choose. God gave us that freedom in the form of a tree. And when Adam and Eve ate from it, we lost the perfect relationship God created us to have with Him. Forever.

From that time on, God’s plan has been to have that relationship with us again. And He has given us that hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The only way we could ever be with Him again was for Jesus to pay the price of our sins. Through His death and resurrection, He conquered the hold sin has over us. No longer are we slaves to our sinful nature, but through Him we have the ability to align our lives with God’s Will. And when we do, we can know without a doubt that no matter what happens in our Lower Stories, God will work it out for the good of those who love Him. 

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 
Romans 8:28 NLT

Throughout the Bible, God used the Lower Stories of sometimes the most unlikely people as part of His master plan. And He continues to do this today as He uses our Lower Stories, for good in His Upper Story.

In Christ,

Laura

Linking up with The Weekend Brew, Sharing His Beauty, Soli Deo Gloria, and #TellHisStory.

$20, a Prayer, and a Bible

“Mom, I’d like to go to the Christian bookstore today.”

I asked if she was looking for something specific.

“I still want to buy a Bible.”

Ooops. I didn’t want to tell her I’d forgotten. I thought back a couple of weeks to when she first informed me that she wanted to buy herself a new Bible.

“What kind of Bible are you looking for?” I’d asked her.

“One like yours,” she said.

I happen to have four Bibles at home, two NIV, one NLT, and one in The Message translation. “One like mine” didn’t help. So, on the spur of the moment, I tried to explain the difference between translations and study Bibles.

It was a lot to think about, and as I thought was the case that day, she had money to burn, (which happened to be at home) and she wanted a new Bible that day. So, while she kept pulling ones she liked off the shelf, I suggested she wait and look at mine first. Then we could come back another day.

She was not happy with me. But, I’m a mom—I’m used to that.

So, here we were a few weeks later going Bible shopping. She had looked at my Bibles and wanted the NLT translation. So, we were one step ahead. I really thought she’d like a study Bible, but I knew cost would be an issue.

We went back to the Christian bookstore, both armed with patience, common sense, and cool heads. How long they would last, I was unsure. But there we were. She had $20 to spend, and I had a 40% off coupon I’d found at home.

Within minutes she had chosen a small pocket-sized Bible in her price range with a blue leather cover with Scripture written on it.

I agreed, it was really cool. But not willing to settle so soon, I suggested she hold on to it while we looked at the study Bibles. She humored me and followed me to that aisle.

We found the kind I have, but the hard covers were so heavy. And the leather covers were expensive…and unattractive.

I knew she was getting frustrated…too expensive, too heavy, too ugly, not the right translation, no study section. I could see her deflating.

I began silently praying…God, please show us the Bible you want her to have. She seriously wants this and I don’t want to disappoint her or burst her bubble. But I also don’t want to watch her spend all of her money on one she won’t use or be really happy with.

People walked around where we sat on the floor in the study Bible aisle. We’d been there for a while. And then…we saw one we hadn’t looked at yet. It was different, but just right.

On the soft, brown leather cover was the Lord’s Prayer, and she loved it. The price point was more than she could afford, but I ignored that for the moment. This was the one.

We looked to make sure we weren’t missing anything and then she started to do the math.

“I don’t have enough money,” she said quietly. “I’ll go put it back.”

“Wait,” I told her. I knew she wanted to pay for it herself, but I looked at the t-shirt I’d agreed to buy her when we first got to the store. “What if we put this back, and I’ll give you the rest of the money you need for the Bible.”

She looked up at me, “Really? You would do that?”

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s the Bible for you.”

And silently, I prayed…Thank you, God, thank you!

In Christ,

Laura  

Linking up with Soli Deo Gloria, #TellHisStory, Winsome Wednesday, and WholeHearted Wednesday.

God’s Gift of Grace

I’m pleased to be posting at 5 Minutes for Faith today, where I’m talking about grace.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

Imagine giving a gift and having it refused.

Maybe it’s happened to you like it’s happened to me.

It was a small gift—nothing major, but something I thought would be enjoyed. The response I received was No thank you; I don’t have anything for you.

My gift was refused because it couldn’t be earned or reciprocated. And it hurt.

I wonder if that’s how God feels when we refuse His gift of grace.

Grace…God’s free and unmerited favor toward sinful humanity (NLT Study Bible, Tyndale)

Please join me at 5 Minutes for Faith to read the rest of my post..

Has there been a time when a gift you tried to give was refused?

In Christ,

Laura 

Linking up with The Weekend Brew

Give-away Winner

Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my post, My Dream Journey and a Give-away. After my daughter and I wrote each name on a slip of paper, she blindly chose one from the bowl.

Congratulations to Angie (@GodsWordisTruth) for winning the copy of You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream by Holley Gerth!

In Christ,

Laura