Supporting Role In My Own Story

When you are watching an action movie, do you ever wonder which character you would be? We all, inherently, understand that to fully enjoy a film, we must suspend reality to one degree or another. Whether that means that we pretend, with the director, that handguns have an endless magazines; that the beloved hero is able to continue the fight after receiving a beating with injuries that would, under normal circumstances require hospitalization; or that the protagonist, regardless of the lack of training and experience, is able to invade the enemy stronghold and save the damsel in distress- fueled only by love.

We know this isn’t realistic, but it’s captivating.

Growing up, I remember looking at my life and thinking, “If someone made a movie about Michael Collas, I would be a secondary, supporting character.”

While that may seem a bit cynical, for those of you who watched me grow up, you can probably understand.

My brother, David, was a main character.

David was the main character in his life, in my life, and probably many others'. His energy was endless; he had never met a stranger, and when he smiled, everyone took notice. As for abilities, David had the strength, the mechanical aptitude, the looks, and the intelligence.

To be completely transparent, his grades may not have displayed his knowledge. David proudly maintained a 1.7 GPA in his senior year, but that could be attributed solely to a lack of desire.

To top it all off, David seemed to always “get the girl.”

One day in high school, a beautiful classmate stopped me in the hall.

“Hey Michael, are you guys going to be in town this weekend?”

This was it, I thought!

“Yeah. We don’t have any family plans.” I replied.

Her face lit up!

“Great! There’s a party on Saturday, and I wanted to see if your brother would want to go with me!”

Talk about a deflating feeling.

I smiled and said, “Oh. Yep. He will be around. I’m sure he’d like that.”

See what I mean. David was the main character. With only 16 months between us, my dad would describe his two boys as “best enemies.” We fought, we argued, we fought some more, but David was also my bodyguard from others.

Both of us wrestled. David started when he was in elementary school, and I joined in middle school, after he “showed me a move” and broke my wrist.

I knew that if I didn’t learn how to hang with him, I wouldn’t have a chance at surviving.

Anyone who knows the sport of wrestling, real wrestling (not the illegitimate WWE that gets publicity), knows that, while it is not the most attended event, the energy and enthusiasm during a match can be deafening.

Regardless of the size of the tournament, no matter how many people were yelling and cheering, David’s voice would cut through it all. As talented as he was as a wrestler, he was an even better coach. My victories and defeats seemed to mean more to him than his own.

The last wrestling match that David watched - ending with my overtime victory over Lewis Palmer HS

That was the kind of man I followed growing up. An infuriating, talented, and passionate friend.

Lost.

Deviated.

Broken.

These words can’t even begin to describe how I felt on February 10, 2016, when two police officers showed up at our house and informed us that David had lost control of the icy interstate, rolled his truck, and died while driving home from Pueblo.

As you can imagine, we were all at a loss. While I pray I never experience the pain my parents felt, I also know that David’s death could not have affected anyone more deeply than it did me.

What kind of movie loses the main character at the beginning of the film?

But the movie doesn’t just end there. It can’t. Life goes on for everyone else. As painful as it is, the sun continues to rise. The calendar never stops flipping.

As time ticks on, and through painful steps, treatments, and the grace of God, I can say that there is slow and steady progress. For many, the reality of loss hits home. The understanding of how death can suck the very breath from your lungs is something that is shared by everyone who has lost a loved one. Even though the depth, expression, and severity of depression can vary from person to person, there is hope.

For me, the hope was in realizing David wasn’t the main character.

Furthermore, I’m not the main character either.

Nor are my parents. My wife and my kids aren’t in the spotlight.

I am still a secondary cast member. We all are.

So, who is the movie about?

The lead goes to One known by many names.

Yahweh,

The Great I AM,

Jehovah,

The Lion of Judah,

The Lamb of God,

Jesus of Nazareth,

the Messiah,

God.

My life, and yours, are ultimately about God.

(Regardless of your surrender to Him. The story is His.)

Before you were born, before the United States seceded from England, before Earth was formed, God was present and in control.

Not in control, as if he were able to gain control of others. He was all that was.

Ancient Israel was separated from the surrounding cultures by their unique Monotheistic beliefs. While other religions spoke of a hierarchy of deities, Judaism held fast that there is and was only One God and that everything was created by Him, through Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

This does not minimize your importance. Rather, it should enhance it.

God created everything, man sinned (missing the perfect love, devotion, and submission required to be in union with God), and as a result, we were separated from our Creator. But in that moment, more accurately, before the foundation of the world, God established and set into motion the most elaborate rescue plan.

Jesus, God incarnate, the only perfect man, laid down His life on behalf of all humanity. Through His work, we are given the ability to be restored to God.

What is required of us is acceptance of the gift of life, purchased by His holy blood.

It is this understanding that gives me hope. I am a secondary character. The story is about God, the work of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Though the film is not about me, BUT the main character has His focus set on me directly and personally. The same is true for you. If it were for you alone, Christ would have still chosen the cross. He loves YOU that much!

Know your role. Be satisfied with your position. You are not the main character. But you are the “apple of His eye.” You are the reason for the story. You are the damsel in distress, and Jesus is the protagonist on a rescue mission for you, fueled by His perfect love.