The end of one chapter is the beginning of a new one.
If Ransomed Life were a three-act play or film, this post would be near the end of Act II.
Many stories follow a similar three-act structure. In Act I, the protagonist lives in an ordinary world, subconsciously wondering, “Who am I?”
Who are you? What is your ”ordinary world“?
Luke Skywalker is a farm boy stuck on a backwater planet. Harry Potter is an orphan living in his mean relatives’ closet. Moana is forbidden from leaving her island. Each of them yearns to know who they really are, sensing that there’s more out there.
I was a toy-collecting, video-game-playing, non-churchgoing, kung-fu-fighting pop-culture nerd, finding escape from my meaningless existence in the little artificial worlds at my fingertips. This was my Act I. My ordinary world.
At the end of Act I, an event spurs the protagonist into action as he/she begins to discover their true identity.
Luke Skywalker learns he’s the son of a Jedi and wants to become one. Harry Potter finds out he’s a wizard. Moana discovers her connection with the sea.
I came to know Christ and discerned a calling to pastoral ministry.
Act II is all about conflict as forces array against the protagonist to keep them from living out their true identities; meanwhile, the protagonist meets mentors who help them overcome challenges. The character grows as he/she overcomes each challenge; this is known as the character arc.
How can you grow as a result of conflict?
Luke on the Death Star with Obi-Wan and friends, fighting the Empire as he learns about the Force. Harry Potter at Hogwarts with Dumbledore and friends, battling Voldemort as he begins his journey to becoming a wizard. Moana at sea with Maui, fighting a giant crab and coconut pirates as she learns how to be the leader of her people.
Me on a church staff with my mentor, fighting my own ego as I learned what it means to serve in ministry for God’s glory, not my own.
The protagonist can only grow by learning to overcome the challenges they face.
Towards the end of Act II is a moment where the challenges overwhelm the protagonist and all seems lost. Their goal–to discover who they really are–seems more out-of-reach than ever.
Luke Skywalker watches Darth Vader strike down his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Who will teach him how to be a Jedi now? Meanwhile, the Death Star closes in on the hidden rebel base.
All seemed lost.
A moment of despair, or a necessary transition to propel the story forward and continue the character arc?
I had my “all is lost” moment in 2016. After finally feeling like I had regained my equilibrium after re-entry and achieved some stability in ministry, I took my family to Kansas City on summer vacation. Why Kansas City? My kids would attend a summer camp at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) while my wife and I would relax and explore the city.
We hadn’t been on vacation in years. We were supposed to have two months off to debrief and decompress after returning from our assignment in Japan, but I started my job just weeks after our return and never had time to catch my breath.
While we were at the airport, preparing to depart for Kansas City, I got a text message from a supervisor, asking to meet. I replied that I would be on vacation for the next week.
Over the next few days of R&R, my wife and I would drop off the kids at camp, stop by the prayer room at IHOP for a few hours, then go explore the city, which turned out to be more fascinating than we ever expected. (I helped that we knew nothing about the city and had no expectations.)
On Thursday of that week, I got an email from work, asking to schedule the meeting I had been texted about. I didn’t know what was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until I got back from vacation. We scheduled the meeting for the following Tuesday. I spent the rest of the trip wondering what this was all about.
We flew home from Kansas City that weekend. Refreshed, relaxed, and rejuvenated by prayer, including some prophetic words that had been offered to each member of our family at IHOP, I felt ready to tackle a new season of ministry.
I went into that meeting on Tuesday feeling good, but by the end of it, I was in a daze, asking myself, “Did that really just happen?”
I had been encouraged to “pray about” looking for another job.
All may seem lost at the end of Act II, but you know what follows?
Act III: the climax, the resolution, the action-packed conclusion out of which the protagonist grows into who they really are–if they can make it to the end.
