Merely a Subplot?

I heard a new song on the radio lab of a local university. The song, Ten Dead Dogs by the Homewood, AL based group Wild Sweet Orange, caught my attention with the lyrics in the chorus, "O my God, is this really what you want?/Would you tell us if it's not?/And could you rewrite the plot/and come and get us?/Cause we can't stop doing/what we think we want,/even though we know it's not./This place is merely a subplot/to come and get us." (If you click on the above link, you will find an audio player on their site and hear the song. Or you can go to youtube or itunes).

The angst of the song is probably what has caught me most - I'm caught somewhere I don't want to be and would like to be rescued from that in-between place. As so many of my friends are also in this place, looking and searching and wondering if they are doing the "right" thing (and this week, I've heard that question, asked that question numerous times) it was good to be reminded, in a backwards sort of way, that God's subplots have a purpose. In fact, I would venture to say that in God's story, there are no subplots (remember: there are no little people! So no little plot lines!) and he is not going to rewrite the plot. Yes, we want to see the end point. And there are moments when I'd rather see Jesus come back than make another fundraising call. We are wrestling with the future, and it is painful.

We cannot say that this life, this world we live in, is "merely a subplot" as if it is worthless. Our work, our lives have dignity and purpose. But there are moments when, in the midst of those painful life situations, when we all wonder, is this really what You had in mind?

I appreciate the honesty of the song, and as I said, identify with the deep sense of confusion. Midway through the song are the words "I've never felt this way before./Am I running away from what/I've always been running towards./Belief, believe in me, cause I don't know/if reason's ever gonna see why love/would come to die/to leave." and I think that is the most blatantly honest moment of the song. Sometimes I want to understand why God chose this particular plan of redemption... but in my unbelief, he is teaching me to believe.