Lately I've been listening to "The Chronicles of Narnia" on CD. The two books I've listened to recently are "The Horse and His Boy" (my favorite in the series) and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (my second favorite). Listening to these books, I was struck by the multiple times Aslan says to a character "no one is told any story but their own". In "The Horse and His Boy" Aslan says this to Shasta when Shasta questions why he wounded Aravis; he says it to Aravis when she questions what will happen to her stepmother's slave girl. In "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" Lucy, after having learned she would never return to Narina, questions whether Eustace would return. Aslan doesn't tell her.
So what's the point of this? One of the questions people have been asking for centuries is "why do bad things happen to people?" What about the flip side of that question- why do good things happen to some people, but not to others? I know that's something I've been thinking about lately. Why do some people have things happen to them that I wish would happen to me? Listening to these books has reminded me that each person's story is their story - not mine.
So what does Jesus say about this? (Because, after all, Aslan is Jesus). At the end of John 21 Jesus has just reinstated Peter to discipleship and fellowship with him. He tells Peter there will come a day when he will be led to places he doesn't want to go, and yet he must follow. To this, Peter essentially asks - "what about John? What's going to happen to him?" Is Peter hoping to hear that John will meet a similar fate? Or is he hoping to hear John will be spared of suffering? Of course, Jesus doesn't tell Peter what will happen to John. He tells Peter to not concern himself with John, but instead to follow him.
Instead of looking at what is happening to others and wondering why certain good things are happening to them and not me, I need to keep my focus and attention on following Jesus. He is the One who wrote my story before I was ever born (Psalm 139).
2 comments:
Pure truth.
This was a very mature and perseptive insight you shared. Why is it that we who name the name of Christ have such a hard time rejoicing with those who rejoice. I must frequently remind myself, that there are so many people that have so many negative things(sickness, job loss ect.) and I must learn to focus on my blessings. Thanks for your sharing.
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