The Rest Is Still Unwritten...

(This great image courtesy of Unwritten Ministries)

There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

(John 21:25, MSG)

These are the last words of the Gospel of John, and the last words of the Gospels in total. As I was reading them this morning as part of my daily quiet time, this particular verse really stuck with me.

Think about it.

REALLY think about it.

As I reflected on the first four books of the New Testament, I can remember story after story of the incredible things Jesus did. The teaching of the thousands....the miracles of healing and power....the investment in His disciples, preparing them for individual ministries without Him, setting the cornerstone of church today....the heartfelt prayers...and the selfless act of his death for our sins on the cross.

That's a lot of amazing stuff in just 3 1/2 short years in ministry...yet read that verse again:

There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

That's pretty incredible...but can you imagine being John and spending each day at His side, learning from Him, and watching Him interact with people? I'm guessing the Gospels are just essentially a "highlight reel"...but seeing Him on a daily basis? I bet there are more stories than can be told.

That led me to thoughts of what it would be like to be with Him then...and then to thoughts of what He would think of me. Would there be lots of "way to go!" and "attaboy"...or would there be much more disappointed looks and shaking of His head as I make yet another mistake?

I hope for the former....but it would probably be the latter. That's why I love the story of Peter so much. There couldn't have been a disciple more full of himself and his abilities than Peter. His fall from grace to betrayal to redemption to impactful ministry gives me hope each day that God can still use me, despite my numerous failings and flaws.

As I reflected on that verse, I was reminded as well of the many times He's made impacts on my life. Sometimes directly...sometimes through prayer and Bible study...and sometimes through other people. If I really kept an account of all the times He's shown Himself to me in these forty-one years, there would be more than a book could hold, too.

The really great part? My story's not over.

He's still writing it...and I'm trying hard to play the part He has for me without getting in His way.

As much as life can get me down at times...each day I wake up and remind myself that this is the day He has made, and it's another chapter in my story. It may be a great victory, a disappointing loss, a mess of my own making, or a turnabout of events I never saw coming. It's all a part of His plan...and I'm glad my story resides in much more capable hands than mine.

God has brought me quite a long way in the past months...and I look forward to where He's taking my story in the future.

Here's hoping that I have open eyes and ears to see and hear the many stories He's yet to teach me...and to remembering each one.