Puzzles. They stir up a lot of emotions. Some people love them. Some people don’t. I am in the “Not love them” camp myself. They are hard. There are so many pieces. And they don’t even come pre-assembled! I mean, what’s up with that?! I know people who really enjoy puzzles. They love to look at the mess, take the time to sit there and work one piece at a time, all to build a one big picture out of 1000 random pieces. My thing to look at in detail is the Bible. I know I am not nearly at the level of a scholar or a history theologian, but to me, the Bible is a puzzle. That means from beginning to end it all fits together and connects. Each story has its part. Each detail has its place. All fitting together to make the big picture.
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I have a secret for you.
I have had to learn to be a reader. There have been a few books that have captured my attention from the beginning to the end. It’s these books where I want to sit in each chapter, engage in the tension, feel the emotions, and can’t wait to see what happens in the end. After all, isn’t that the way a good book should be read? Too often when we come to the Bible, we tend to read it differently. We see the title of the book and we assume we know the story and where it is going, so we jump to the end. Even if we go on to read the whole thing, our minds have already made that leap. The book of Ruth is one story where the reader generally jumps to the end too quickly. We hear that name and we know she left her homeland, met Boaz, got married, and lived happily ever after. But by jumping to the end, we miss something significant in the beginning. We forget the pain. Even though we know it as the Book of Ruth, it actually starts with story of Naomi and Elimelech. I remember the day we got the news that we would be first time parents.
We were in the hospital room when the doctor casually strolled in with the results. Our hearts were racing as we were expecting balloons or confetti. But instead, he didn’t even look up from the chart as he plainly said something to the effect of, “Yep. You are going to have a baby.” He said it so quietly I had to actually ask him to repeat it. My heart jumped into my throat. This was huge news! He looked up and started to chuckle. “I guess I do this a lot,” he said smiling. All I could respond with was, “I don’t.” Nine months later, our lives would change forever. If you have had kids, you have a story to tell too. One that is your own. Samson’s parents had a story too. A unique one. But it is not just a crazy story of their son. It is also a story that speaks to each of us as parents. |
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Brad in 2 Sentences:I love to write and teach people of all ages about Jesus. If I can tell a story and tell you about Jesus at the same time, even better! Archives
November 2018
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