I've always loved stories. Once I start a good story it's really tough for me to put it down until I'm finished. Clever plot points, character development, and intriguing situations keep me glued to the story.
The best authors always make you fall in love with their characters basically by tormenting them. I read Amazing Spider-Man for years and even though the book switched scribes numerous times, the one thing that remained constant was each writer's willingness to subject the web-head to tragedy after tragedy, heaped on happenstance after catastrophe. Most modern fiction is much the same, be it TV, novel, or blockbuster.
If you ever sat through an English or Literature class then you probably learned some of the basic elements of a story. Notably the concept of building (or rising) action and the climax. The most talented authors weave all of these different elements, not only into the larger story itself, but also into the individual chapters or segments of their tale.
From a theological perspective, I am so glad to know that what holds true in the realm of fiction couldn't be further from the truth in terms of our relationship with God...or more accurately, His relationship to us. He is above and beyond sovereign.
We can not altogether understand all of the good things He has lined out for His kids. We just can't. And God certainly has good stuff planned for us.
I'm not the kind of preacher that will stand in front of an audience and proclaim that just because we're Christians that God will shower us in fancy cars, fine homes, and fat wallets. I believe that is a dangerous sort of dialogue that leads to disappointment.
However, I absolutely believe in the principles passed down through Jeremiah 29:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:9. God has great things in store for His people.
At the end of the day, every day, I rest well; knowing that my destiny is penned by the Creator of the cosmos, the Savior of the world, the author and finisher of my faith.
