The story often begins with the phrase, ‘Once upon a time’.
That’s how it begins, but if we pay attention there was something before that point. It’s where we started the story, but that’s not always where the story starts. Sometimes in digging around, there’s a fascinating lead up to the story we know.
For example, I came across a podcast about an interest I had. My maths leads me to believe that it’s good to start things at 1. Yet here this podcast was getting all crazy and starting with episode 0. Nothing too dense, nothing too packed, just a little starter – what I needed to know before I begun getting into it. The story I needed to know before the story begun. I was taken by that episode 0. That was enough to get me eager to listen to what would be taking places in the numerous episodes that would follow.
It got me thinking. Every new day has its opportunities to continue a story or have the refreshing chance to start a new story. Every new day has those opportunities. To get a handle on that new story it’s often good to get an idea of what the episode 0 was behind it all. Then as we launch into this story we have a better awareness of where it’s all been coming from and a greater excitement to follow where it leads.
There are certain episodes of people following Jesus and He had an insight into the episode 0 which helped considerably to establish what this new chapter could be like. Whether it was getting local knowledge on the guy who was at the pool of Bethesda for so many years, or being able to share with His disciples that it wasn’t a fault finding mission when it came to the man born blind who needed a trip to Siloam to get insight on his situation. It must have been fascinating to walk with Jesus in those settings.
I get the impression it was not exclusively designed just for those days. I get the impression He invites us to walk with Him in the opportunities that present themselves to us if we have the eyes to see.
Something to consider whenever you reach your once upon a time.
God help us.
(Photo by Thomas Drouault on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 