Why All The Fuss Over "This is Us"?

This past Sunday's episode of "This Is Us" created quite a stir. I would argue that it stole the Lombardi Trophy right out from under the Eagles. If you don't watch the show, then you are probably wondering what the fuss is all about. I've been trying to get my husband to watch it since the first episode. I almost had him that night. But he just couldn't dive in. Maybe he's afraid he will join the ranks of all the obsessed viewers. Or maybe he's just not willing to cry with me every Tuesday night.

Whatever the reason, it's an incredible show with amazing talent. The writers weave past, present, and future together to open our eyes to the bigger story. It is clever and suspenseful. It is captivating and heartbreaking. So much life packed into a television screen. That's what good stories do. They draw in you as the reader, viewer, or listener, and make you a part of it. You find yourself feeling the emotions of the character. You can see a little bit (or a lot a bit) of yourself in these fictional people. A good plot will move your soul.

We all long to be part of a bigger story. Watching "This is Us" reminds us that the moments we are currently living are not the only moments in our story. It also reminds us that we are not the only people in our story. This story that God is writing contains millions upon billions of lives that sometimes pass-by, intersect, or even collide. And these lives are all written the same big novel: History.

Once we have finished watching fictional lives unfold on TV, let's wipe away the tears, put on our shoes, and create our own fuss. The fuss that God has called us to enter, even when it's filled with fire and heart-attacks. Because if we have learned one thing about life from this show, it's not over yet.

John 1:1-4 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Engage the Kiddos -

Read:
Esther 2-9

Activity:
Play musical chairs or freeze dance. A game that once you are out, you watch the rest of the game finish.

Discuss:
What is more fun: watching the game or playing it?
Do you think Esther knew why she was chosen to be queen?
How did God use her to help her people?
Do you think Esther ever thought it would be easier for her to not become queen? 
Do you ever feel like you are part of a bigger story?

Reiterate: You are part of a bigger story. The biggest story: History