The Story of Your Life
What if your life were a book?
About six months ago, I began to think about my life as a book. Not as a book that I would write, but as a book I have lived. I just kept thinking to myself, “What would some of the chapters of my life be called?” I didn’t even try to answer the question, but I came to the conclusion that God already knew. He sees the big picture of my life, from every childhood memory and trauma, to every epiphany and joyful adventure. I had been pondering this concept and the fact that there must be something He had for me in every season, in every chapter of my life.
The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began. ~Psalm 139:16
I host a weekly writing group, and one day, when we finished, I had an interesting conversation with a regular attendee. He is always a joy to talk with; He’s been retired for many years with a lifetime of experience under his belt. I was on the edge of my seat, listening intently as he shared adventures from his time in business and travel. His stories spanned decades upon decades, with numerous locations and backdrops reflecting his early years raising a family to his later season of retirement. He was working on writing some of his experiences down, like living through the great depression, serving in world war II, and hopping trains back when that was a thing you could do. He told me stories about getting married and starting a family while traveling just to make a living as a journalist. As we talked about the new things he could write, I remember saying that he could share all the things he learned through each of the seasons of his life. He just looked at me, asking what exactly I meant. He didn’t really think there were lessons that he learned during some of those seasons. So, I thought about it for a moment and then explained that I had been thinking about the phrase, If My Life Were a Book, What Are Some of the Chapters. He said it was an interesting thought but He would have to think about it.
So, that got me thinking…
I know that my life hasn’t always been full of fun and adventure. And I know I’ve had frustrating things happen to me and around me, and some difficult seasons have caused me a great deal of pain. Sometimes, I would rather pretend that some things didn’t even happen. But I also know, that’s not where my story ended and I am not going to unroll my sleeping bag and set up camp there. Since I’ve met Jesus, I have given Him the pen to edit and rewrite my story to reflect His presence and glory in and through my life. How do I do that? Well, it doesn’t happen when I don’t let go of the script, or when I crumple it up and tuck it away under my mattress, or when I’m so angry that I light it up and have a bonfire.
Tragedy clouds our vision so much so, that it is like living in a dense fog. And with zero visibility it becomes impossible to understand where our story can go. But that is why we need to let Him take all of it, our past and our present, and let Him redeem it. There is really nothing that is hidden—He sees it all.
You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears. Aren’t they listed in your book? ~Psalm 56:8
Let Him add new plot twists and surprises to what you are now living. Give Him permission to make some changes, do some editing and even create some rewrites to what is there. We have heard that all things work together for the good of those that love God and follow His ways— and this is how it’s done. As we give Him freedom to change our story, we also ask Him to transform us and give us eyes to see His perspective as it pertains to the pages and chapters of our lives.
Consider your life this week, and all it’s chapters up until now. Ask God to show you what He had for you then and what He may be doing with you now. You can read my followup article, Let God Step into Your Story. And soon, I will share more about how God did this in my life. Until then, may His blessings find and overwhelm you!
Blessings, Tami Gaupp
