Jesus is the Main Character

This morning, our worship pastor relayed a conversation he had yesterday with his five and six-year-old sons:

6 y/o: Dad, who is the main character of the book you are reading?

Dad (looking at the non-fiction work in his hand): Well, I guess I would say Jesus.

5 y/o: Dad, is Jesus the main character of every book?

Don't you love it when kids so appropriately hit the nail on the head? I do; well, unless they're "correcting" one of my errant behaviors, but that rarely happens (cough, cough)... Okay, back to Jesus. 

A few years ago, I fell in love with the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Have you seen it?  

It's wonderful. Buy it. Buy it soon. Whether you have kids or not. This beautiful work points out what many of us have missed in traditional "good guy, bad guy" Sunday School lessons. Listen: 

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.
It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle - the piece that makes all other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

Jesus is the main character. He is the center of every story from Genesis to Revelation. He is the Rescuer and Redeemer; and, He is to be the main character of every moment of my day, too. Regardless of my role, He loves me

with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. 

No other main character does that. 

   

Desperate for Pause

A few weeks ago (before my weekly posts flat lined), I mentioned to my husband my need for life to pause for a week. Everyone to stop moving. Stop having activities. Appointments. Assignments. Stop producing laundry. Stop eating 3 meals and 20 snacks a day (and using 50 plates and cups in the process.) Just stop. Too much to ask? Apparently.

Because people in our house don't tend to stop. Unless we're sleeping. Myself included. By the way, that's not me, though I feel like striking the pose sometimes. Instead, I whine and complain and ask everyone to quit doing all of the above, convinced it's the best solution.

"Okay, so then what? Let's say this life 'Pause' happened for a week. Then what?" 
Well, that would be awesome! I might see the bottom of our laundry baskets or the corner of that kitchen counter we've been missing for 2 months. I might not have to go to the grocery store 4 times in a week (don't ask.)

"And after that week? After everyone pressed 'Play' again?"
Um, the laundry and sink o' cups and stuff of life will runneth over again?

Pretty much.

I'm not saying a week off "life" wouldn't be fantabulous. It would. But likely, it wouldn't really refresh me the way I expect. Certainly not long term. There is another way to address the mutiny of the day. In the end, it may cause us to pause some of our busyness. In the meantime, it will nourish my soul and guide me through the moments.

  When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
      everything I know of you,
   From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
      including Mount Mizar.
   Chaos calls to chaos,
      to the tune of whitewater rapids.
   Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
      crash and crush me.
   Then God promises to love me all day,
      sing songs all through the night [and the day]!
      My life is God's prayer. 

Psalm 42:6-8 (MSG)