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| Melinda V. Inman |
God
Entered Our Story
My parents recently had a car accident that totaled their
vehicle. My father is over eighty, my mother trailing behind. A lapse in focus
and what we hoped would never occur did indeed happen. Thanks be to God that
other than a few bruises, they were physically unscathed, and no one else was
injured. I'm truly grateful!
Everyone with aging parents knows the next issue: My
father's inability to drive any longer. I don't like this part. I want my
parents to remain eternally young and strong. I've watched them conquer
mountains and achieve dreams, yet none of us are in control of our aging or of
how we will end our days.
Peaceful days, one following another, are not our norm, yet
that is what we crave. I want all to be well with my parents, and on the other
side, with my children and grandchildren as well. But this is a fallen earth,
and here there is much groaning.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the
pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this
hope we were saved” (Romans 8:22-24a NIV).
We make our brief appearance in the play, acting our tiny
part as we're dropped into the pageantry of human history, and then, right when
we've figured out who we are in this pageant, our time is up. Yet, as I ponder
that reality with my parents, I also celebrate. On this day twenty-seven years
ago, our fifth-born child made his appearance. He's in the stage of life that
is vim and vigor, conquering mountains and finding his niche.
As we root for our young and hope for our old, we often feel
emotional whiplash. I don't want anyone's time to be up anytime soon. I want
health, success, and earthly blessings. These longings are especially poignant
at Christmas time.
But, alas, I'm not the Author of this human drama. God
Himself decides when we enter and when we exit. He orchestrates the plot, the
twists, and the events of history that accompany our roles. He does this with
the mastery of the sublime Storyteller. Because we love Him and long to be with
Him, there are times when we groan under the weight of our trials on a fallen
earth, exactly as the characters we write must suffer. We long for our true
home and our exit from the play at the happy ending.
At this time of year, we find great comfort that God pierced
the fabric of human history and entered our story, that He is not only the
Storyteller, but the Hero as well. He wrote Himself in, putting on human flesh
and living among us on this messy planet with all its pain and suffering. He
suffered as we suffer, so that He might truly be Emmanuel, God with us. He
conquered the foe and liberates the captives, and the best is yet to come.
This has been my meditation this year: God is with me, close,
near, and dear. I am not forsaken. He knows my sorrows. He knows my joys, and
He works all things together for good in my family, in my writing career, and
in my life. What more could we ask! May this be the meditation of your heart,
no matter your circumstances this Christmas.
Love
takes action: The Creator God establishes the cosmos and shapes a man. Adam
rises from the dust. Envious, the powerful angel Lucifer despises him.
Oblivious to the threat, Adam is captivated by his strong, intuitive wife Eve.
In the Garden of Eden, they enjoy abundant food, gorgeous vistas, and
intriguing challenges, including their budding love and passion. They have it
all!
But
Lucifer’s deceptive brilliance tricks them into disobeying God. They eat the
one forbidden fruit. Their innocence is shattered. Their unity with one another
and with God is destroyed. Death will follow. Lucifer’s jealousy threatens
mankind’s tenuous beginning. But God is merciful. What astonishing promise does
He make? How will Adam and Eve survive—broken, shattered, and separated from God?
Melinda Viergever Inman was
raised in a storytelling family. There her roots were sunk. During years of
relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots
and ran from herself and from God. A journey of trial and heartache brought her
home again. A prodigal now returned, she writes with passion, illustrating
God's love for wounded people as He makes beauty from ashes. Fallen is her second novel; Refuge, the sequel, is her first.
Melinda shepherds women in prison ministry and writes inspirational material at
http://melindainman.com/blog/. With her family she is involved with Mission
India/RIMI, rescuing orphans and providing theological and job training for
impoverished students.
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