Between Worlds

Before time began, there was an Author. His stories were not written in ink — but life. He could imagine the details of each character, right down to the number of hairs on their heads. He wanted the love in his heart to extend beyond the limits of time and space.

The first characters lived in the warmth of his presence—basking in the light and beauty that brought unspeakable joy. The characters loved their storyteller—this love was shared, not forced. The author was unmatchable…but one creature became enamored with his own brilliance. He didn’t want to be a character in the story—he wanted to write his own.

He stepped out of the author’s light—and in its absence, something new appeared.

Shadow.

His story became shrouded in darkness as the weight of his own lies closed in around him. He could not produce light. In his arrogance, he did not return to the light.

The author continued his work with a new world. In many ways, it would mimic his own. He formed characters and planned to write himself into the story, creating the same connection and love that he experienced at home. He knew the story would have a beginning and ending…and so he wrote into each heart the love of a place they did not yet know.

The shadow slipped into the story, as the author knew he would. He watched the characters carefully—where did their eyes linger longer? He longed to read their thoughts to know if they doubted the author. He whispered the same lie that drove him into the darkness:

“You are better off writing your own story.”

The moment the characters believed him, the darkness crept into the corners of their hearts. The author was not in those stories, but he longed to protect the light that was still in them. The characters battled doubt that led to fear. And fear that led to shame. The darkness in their hearts disconnected them from the author’s story.

However, the author did not give up on the story. He told his characters how it would end. He punished the shadow for his deceit. The author loved these characters and knew of the many that would follow. The story must go on. He continued to provide his light in new ways, revealing his signature to many generations.

And at just the right time, the author did the unfathomable. He entered the story as one of them. He wrote himself in as a humble, simple man. One that could relate to all types of people. He carried his light from town to town until the plots of the shadow poured over him. The shadow believed he had won. His power had grown and now he would be the author of this world.

But. The author’s story did not end in death. He wrote himself to live again, always having greater power that was not limited to the story itself. He offered this light to others and offered for them to live with him in his home, in his greater story. One that had no end. Before their very eyes, he returned to his world.

The people walked in this light and shared it, knowing that one day the author would come back into the story and rescue them from the shadows, once and for all. As each one carried the light to every corner of the earth, the author longed for as many characters as possible to one day be with him. The shadow raged as light spread across the creation. He continued to use his limited scripts—fear, doubt, shame, and deceit.

And just as his shadows spread to the furthest corners, a great light pierced through the darkness. The same light that once illuminated his beauty now separated him from the characters he had worked so hard to overcome. His story would come to an end, engulfed in darkness, once and for all. Night was no more.

The author offered the same invitation to every character. Anyone that wanted the light could have it. All are welcome to join the author in his world, but he did not and does not force this on anyone.

And this is where the story turns to you, the reader.

We live between two worlds. Do you sense that? The part of your heart that longs for something you have not found here?

The truth is, our stories do have an author. The Bible tells us that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9-10).

A free gift.

A love that overcomes the shadows.

I want to invite you to follow Jesus with me. My flame is small, but never fails to overcome the shadows. To reveal the darkest corners. To not leave me to them. I want that for you. Until then—

To be continued…