"Live the Epic"

by WXAN & KMHM General Manager, Doug Apple

Anna Karenina kills herself in the end...throws herself under a train. How do you feel about that? What emotions are stirred up within you? What lessons have you learned from Anna's story? 

If you have not read Leo Tolstoy's “Anna Karenina”, her suicide means nothing to you. But if you have plodded your way through this giant of a novel, getting to the know the characters, feeling their pain, sharing their joy, relating to their struggles and humanness, then the mere mention of Anna's end brings rushing back all of those memories.
Throw together a group of people who have read “Anna Karenina” and you will see a lively discussion ensue. Now put together a group of people that only know the Cliff's Notes version. Will the discussion be as colorful? Of course not. Only those who have lived through the epic can marvel at its richness.

Slow, Plodding Character Development

I look at God as the author of the epic that is our lives. Our days are filled with slow, plodding character development. It can seem boring, or senseless. We want to skip ahead to the more exciting parts. But that is like reading only the last chapter of a book. If we don't live through the “build-up” phases of life, we won't marvel at the richness of the high points.
God brings us through things on purpose. It's the only way He can meet certain goals in our lives. If we don't travel the road, we can't reach the destination.

A New Look at an Epic Story 

Consider the story of Jesus' friend Lazarus. He got sick...very sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, sent for Jesus. Jesus received their message and said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God…” (John 11:4). Jesus was pointing out a purpose, a design, a reason for Lazarus' sickness. The sisters couldn't see it. The disciples couldn't see it. The soon-to-be deceased certainly couldn't see it. But it was there anyway - God's grand plot development. Even Jesus Himself went through the process, weeping as a result. And by the end of this epic story, God's purpose was fulfilled. “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him (John 11:45). They lived through it (except Lazarus…) and in the end marveled at the richness of God and the exciting life He “writes” for us.

Therefore Go Ye & Live The Epic

So, keep your faith! Keep your hope! Keep looking to the Lord! When trials come, rejoice at the possibilities! God is at work! He has a purpose. So go along with the Master Author…and “Live the Epic!”