More Than A Story

I was sitting in Sunday School, just like the week before, listening to the same stories and lessons that I have heard from the Old Testament multiple times before. But this week, we were watching a video. The video was on landmarks over in Asia. I saw pictures and shoots of places where Moses had walked before. I saw a picture of the very sea that parted when the Israelites were running from the Egyptians. Then all of the sudden, something clicked.

Normally when I hear the same story over and over again, like David and Goliath, Moses and the parting sea, Joseph and his brothers, it's just like a good story like Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood. The stories never felt real to me. I mean, sub-consciously I knew they really happened. But I just felt like they were a fairytale or a good story. But here's the thing: It started to seem like the cross was just another one of those stories. I know that Christ died for me, and I knew it then too. But it didn't feel like it even really happened.

When I watched that video, all of the sudden, things became real to me. I realized that Moses and Joseph and Abraham were all real. God really did part the sea. God really did perform so many miracles. It's more than just a fictional story. But even more, I saw how real my God was. He isn't just this fairy floating in the sky somewhere who supposedly controls everything. He is real! He saves! He performs miracles!

I had these crazy feelings inside, unlike anything I've felt before. I felt so in awe and so amazed at the wonders of a real God who does real things. These things went through my head and heart for a while, but eventually, sadly, they kinda died down again. But then, a few months later, God brought another experience to me. I was sitting in Bible class, and we were talking about the attributes of God. We talked about His holiness, His truth, His grace...and just His character. At the end of each chapter in our Bible books, there is a blank page divided the previous and next chapter. I usually fill this page with verses and Christian song lyrics and quotes. That day I was focusing on filling that page with things about the cross. I was writing the lyrics to this amazing song that goes like this:

"Forever, eched upon my mind,
Is the look of Him who died,
The Lamb I crucified,
And now my life will sing the praise,
Of pure, atoning grace,
That looked on me and gladly,
Took my place..."
-John Newton

Those words are so amazing and the meaning is so breathtaking. I just started crying so hard when I wrote those words down. I'm not sure why, but something just came over me during that Bible class. I just saw how real the cross is. Christ really did die for me. He was a real man who really walked this earth and was really killed for me.

I wish I could explain my feelings to you write now as I'm typing this. Just something about writing about the cross makes my insides feel torn that my sin killed Christ, yet completely thankful and happy. Christ was born here and died. Christ took away the sins of the world. It's real. It's true.

.........And it's more than just a story.