What story am I writing?

Photo found at Christine P. Newman.

On the return to school in the fall, teachers will often ask students to write an essay on "What I did this summer." Students will have stories from vacations, summer camp, concert festivals and maybe a trip to Grandmas house. Even when I was in school, I used to look forward to this chance to tell my teacher and peers what I'd been up to over the summer. Taking a moment to look what we've been doing can help to indicate where we are headed in the future.

This last weekend, I took some time to read Donald Miller's newest book, " A Million Miles in a Thousand Years."

In this book, "Miller chronicles a rare opportunity to edit his life into a great story, to reinvent himself so nobody shrugs their shoulders when the credits roll."(Back dust cover,Million Miles by Donald Miller)

While reading Donald's book filled with his own adventures of life editing, I began to ask myself this question, "If I were to think of my own life as a movie, what would I desire to edit, change or adapt so that those who are watching are bored by what they see?"

Left to my own devices, I think the movie of my life would be filled with adventure, drama and scenes of great success or popularity. But when it comes down to living my life as a disciple of Christ,the action scenes of my life-movie will and should play out to be much different than ones inspired by the shallow needs of ego. If I desire to live out a life of real greatness, or write a story of actual significance, it will be impossible to accomplish without God being the director of my film or the co-author of my whole story.

Miller explains more about this process of re-writing his life and how God might feel about the value of each one of our stories:

"...When Steve, Ben and I wrote our characters into the screenplay, I felt the way I hope God feels as he writes the world, sitting over the planets and placing tiny people in tiny wombs. If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you."

(Page 59, Million Miles by Donald Miller)

Instead of the fall essay of "What did you do this summer?", I feel as if God is asking, "What story are you writing with your life?" While I may try to look back at the pages I've already written with regret, I honestly feel excitement when this question presses in upon my heart. I am in the process, the action, the present moment of writing my life story. Yes there are pages behind me and there are pages in front of me, but there is a page that I'm writing at this very moment... letter my letter and minute by minute. My story is changing and growing and with God's help, it will be a story worth reading someday. Each one of us has a life, a story. Just imagine if the lives we lived were ones so in tune with our director that we all ended up with an Oscar in the end?

As I wrapped up reading Mr. Miller's book on story, life and God's part in all of it, I came across a music video by the band FM Static called: "A boy moves to a new town with optimistic outlook." They lyrics of this song also repeat the theme of our lives as story. We all will deal with difficult times and heart-breaking circumstance in life, but if we walk through these times asking God to direct our feet on the path, if we choose optimism instead of apathy, if we choose light over living in darkness; then our stories will be better than any summer essay that has ever been written. Our stories can be great, even better, they can be epic with God as the director; day by day and page by page.

What story will you write?

"And all this time, while the world passes us by
What will we leave behind, but the pages of our lives?
And if we take our time, I bet we can all find
The things in life worth living for

One thing I know is that when life's moving slow
I'm not our here on my own, I've got You (to get me through this)
I'm on a long journey through mountains of apathy
And I'm not afraid to walk through"

Lyric by FM Static

Boy Moves To A New Town With Optimistic Outlook by FM Static

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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