A phrase I keep hearing is “let me put this in context.” Initially I wondered why I needed to understand the context. As I have begun to digest the conversations, I find that the introduction is actually helpful. With context, there is a frame to the words that follow. With context, words take on more texture and depth. With context, the story begins to become multidimensional.
As I have replayed the introduction in my reflections, I realize that Life has been inviting me to see the greater story in context of my life. It is easy to forget that there is a bigger story. Even when I focus in on that, I have a tendency to miss the conversation that follows.
“Bill, you have a place in a bigger story. Do your remember the story? Do you know where you fit in the bigger story?”
I wish I could write that I have the story and my place in it all figured out. One of my dreams is that the bigger story and my dreams become one and the same. At this stage, I can only say that it is a dream within a dream. Most of the time, I struggle to understand the context of the story. There are certain aspects that I know to be true.
My starting point is “God; “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.” (Psalm 16.2)
In the midst of pain, evil, and uncertainty, Compassion, Mercy and Love always trump. Nothing is justified or makes sense without the compassion, mercy, and love being at the center.
The story, every story, comes to life with characters that act. You and I are characters in our stories and the bigger one that we are a part of. The story changes, improves, when we reach for compassion, mercy, and love.
Context does matter. There is a context to our lives that begins with God. Understanding the context opens up the possibility of discovering purpose. With the freedom that is within us, you and I hold endless possibilities in making dreams come true.
