a story already written

          Tomorrow is a new beginning, at least for us. When God invited us into a life in Denver, serving latino college students in the city, it was no news to Him. He has written for this place, these students, our lives...a story long before we were even thought of. This is all beyond my understanding, of course, but I must believe that He has seen it long worth pursuing to redeem a people He calls his own, and to do so in this season of time and in this city.
          We have been studying the Pentateuch, the first five books of the bible written by Moses, at church. I have been struck by the language God uses when describing his affection & raw pursuit of His people. It was His plan, His story, all along to dwell with the people He created and loved. Of course, we wanted to be God & know the way to do life like He did, so we chose to turn from him and do our own thing. He even gave us ways to live that would be the best for us. We wouldn't have to loathe working, we wouldn't have to fear pain in relationships. Yet, we walked away, or rather gave told God His directions weren't good enough for us. Yikes. How many times have I heard that come from within me?
          The books that follow Genesis 1-3, that described above, unfold a redemptive story of God then doing the work to bring back His people. He called them His own, even yet when they abandoned Him. And he wrote a beautiful, unmistakably 'higher than our ways' plot for them to be released into freedom. THEN he gave them the law- a way to abide in Him and to live in the new found freedom. It's so amazing. I always got it backwards. The Israelites were not to keep the law to earn God's favor and thus stick around. No, God was already dwelling among them. He decided long before that this was His people- and He wanted them to live in freedom. And so, he gave them a way to live in that freedom. Thus, the law. God's story. All of life is God's story. He is reality. What a creative, great, sovereign, just, and kind God we know. And it's by His grace we know Him at all. Because He wrote the story, and God does what He wants.

Back to tomorrow. We begin on campus, along with the other 2 staff members that have joined us in trusting God for Destino here in the city. We jump headfirst into the story already written. I pray we have eyes to see God's story unfold.

I will leave us with this. John 21:25.

  'Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.'

I hope for this in the years to come, as Latino students (and thus, the city of denver) experience and extend the gospel of Christ.


K