Your Life Story

I've been thinking about stories lately, about our life stories and how not a single one of us has a story that is the same. We are each as unique as snowflakes, and our story is equally our own, unlike anyone in the entire history of the world.

... and we are not out here on our own, aimlessly dragged along by our story, without any say as to the plot twists and the outcomes. We have an amazing Editor and Chief, who is directing us and placing us in settings and adventures in which He knows our best self can shine through. He is carrying us to the end.

There will be those in your life who don't like your story; there will be those who don't understand it, who will take out their red pens and cross things out, rearrange events, or put their two-cents worth on it. Still others whom we have trusted will rip entire sections away,

leaving holes and gaps that we may feel are unable to be restored. We may even have decided at times to fire our Editor and Chief, to go it alone for awhile... it's my life, after all, I know what I want to do, say, be, I don't need His input, I'll write this chapter myself.

My husband is an amazing person: He works far more than 40 hours a week, commutes almost 2 hours away every morning and back again every evening, but he still finds time to load the dishwasher and he always (and I mean always) tucks our daughter in at night.

"Tucking her in" is actually not the appropriate description for what goes on when he scoops her up and hauls her upstairs over his shoulder. In our family, we actually call it "the hour of power." I and anyone else in the house can hear them giggling, screaming, grunting, jumping on the bed, talking silly, and then, the room grows quiet, the princess flashlight comes out, and we can hear their whispers as the two of them snuggle in and my husband's deep, soothing voice spins outrageous tales of cotton candy worlds destroyed by rain storms, ...sharp toothed dragons with burping problems, ...brave girls who travel the Amazon in tin-foil hats, ...frog princes chasing their dragonfly dinners with fork and knife in hand. My husband will turn over the story to her at times along the way, and I can hear her adding to the events, putting her twist on the adventure, asking questions and giggling at the answers they come up with together.

When my husband quietly emerges from her room, grinning ear to ear, he always kisses me and makes some comment along the lines of "how did we get so lucky to have a daughter so great?" And of course, we all agree and ask about what they were doing and what the story was for the night, and he happily recaps their father/daughter adventure. Sometimes the story is so loony, those of us who were not involved in the creation process don't get it, looking at each other with raised eyebrows, rolling our eyes,.. that's what had you two howling with laughter for the past 15 minutes? My hubby will shrug his shoulders, a twinkle in his eye, and say, "Guess you had to be there."

The writing of our life story is very much like that "hour of power" between my daughter and her father. We each belong to Our Heavenly Father, we are His most prized treasure. God is not too busy to get down into the dirt of life with us, instead it is His chief longing - to go through this life with us, up close and personal, to get His hands sticky with the mess of our real day-to-day story.  God doesn't want to run our life story, treating us like puppets on a string, He desires to spend time with us, to develop the story together, to cry and laugh through every crazy twist and turn.

He has made you with talents, giftings, desires, abilities - and for every season in life, some of them may cease for a time, while new ones may pop up.  God desires for you to step out in faith and grasp them, use them in your story. When a chapter comes to a close, that doesn't mean that your time is over or that your dreams and ministries have come to an end - it's time to begin new ones! Isaiah 43:18-19 expresses this perfectly:

"Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past."Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

Where are you in your story? Is Jesus your Editor or are you attempting to write it alone? Have you been hurt by others? Do you feel that you have no more chapters to write?

I encourage you today - God is not done with you yet! He is right beside you, pen in hand, ready to play, to listen, to weep with you, to heal, and yes, to begin a new chapter.

And there will be some who don't get it - they may raise their brows - but it's ok, this is not their story, and maybe this can help you to be more patient with the stuff in THEIR stories that make your eyes wanna roll! As you grow in your trust in Jesus, in His guidance of your story, when they take out their red pens, their ink won't stick... as hard as they pull at your pages, your story will remain, unfazed, intact. You will look at them with a twinkle in your eye, and with confidence in your Editor, turn to them and say, "Guess you had to be there."