My story. Your story. His story; her story. Isn't that what we are all living? I pray for those I love, yet I'm constantly returning to the realization that when circumstances don't look like what I think they should look like or people don't make decisions I think they should make that it is the LORD that writes our story. We certainly get a say in some stuff, but for those that have surrendered their lives to God, our story is not only something personal, but something to be anticipated. To be watched for. The activity of God in our lives, the waiting for what comes next, the watching for the next adventure.
My family came to call "detours" in our self made plans "adventures". We started this while on vacation. Nothing could go wrong, we just claimed we had another "adventure"! Anything goes, and we were waiting and watching for how the "adventure" would end and we would have another wonderful story to tell and revisit a few years from now. The children caught onto the game very quickly and before we knew it, everyone was expectantly watching to see what would happen in any given "adventure"!
I like that attitude. I like watching for the Lord and always seeing Him in our lives. My life. My story. Where will my story go? What will each of my children's stories say? My other loved ones? Our lives are intertwined; our stories are currently intertwined on a daily basis. We each have friends that are a part and we are blessed because of them. Blessed to have them. Blessed to have each other.
I am given a wonderful gift each and every morning. I have the opportunity to be a wife to my husband and a mother to my children. I am asked to be a sister in Christ and a friend. I am wanted in their lives and they are wanted in mine. The Lord has asked me to love my husband and children on a daily basis. To be with them and to be a part of their story. As very young children, us parents are central to our children's Life Story, but as they grow into their own calling our portion becomes smaller. I pray as my portion becomes smaller, that the gap would be filled with the Lord; that His portion would become larger and fill their hearts and minds.
There are people that enter my life, my story, for a small amount of time and others enter for an extended stay and yet others that are a central thread to the majority of my life. No matter the time frame, I know that our shared time together should mutually write something encouraging. This is right. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 tells us to speak to each other with the message of Christ between us.
I know that daily as we pass strangers there is something to be gained and learned and given. But that is not what I speak of today. I ponder and think on when someone you deeply love is waiting; waiting on so many things, to make sure their life is better and in some cases to make sure their life story does not become a short essay. Sometimes it's smaller issues and sometimes it's very big ones, and everything in between. What can you do? What can I do? I have been asked to be a part of many people's lives. I take that as an honor. I do not receive that lightly, and I'm careful with it. What happens when the path their life is taking is out of your hands and the decisions concerning them lie with someone else or in their own immature hands? What happens if your chapter in their life is almost over? What if it is not? Should I worry about such things? NO. Matthew 6:24-27 speaks first about serving two masters and then says therefore do not worry. It speaks about life being more than food and clothes and then asks if you can add even one hour to your life by worrying. What spoke to me was the admonishment about serving two masters and then the directive to not worry. Seems to me worrying serves the wrong master.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8). 1 John 5:18-20 speaks about the world being evil, but those that are in Christ are safe and kept safe in Him and that HE is the true God and eternal life. Does that mean being in Christ means nothing bad ever happens? No, again. Psalm 59:16 says, "But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble." I wish my first reaction...yes, I know I should not react to circumstances but discern them and choose to act and I know it's a problem and I am working on it...but sometimes my reaction to things is not to run to God and rest in His strength and allow him to be my fortress and comfort and refuge in times of trouble or perceived trouble. Today I held out my arms to my distressed 2 year old to offer comfort and consolation and he stomped his feet and cried harder, angry that he did not get his way, and refused my comfort and my strength. It hit me hard. Oh Lord, forgive me. I've done that to You. Teach me to be a trusting, faithful daughter.
So where have I gone with all of these thoughts? Those I love, those God loves more, have a path to walk; a story the Lord is writing. I've been asked to be a part of their lives and I pray for them and then I leave their story to God. He is faithful. He is good. Jeremiah 29:11 says He has good plans for us; plans for a future and with hope! What better hands can I leave my loved ones in?
He is the perfecter and finisher of our faith and sometimes, well a lot of times, we are asked to walk in faith in order to stretch it in a very personal way. Walking in faith means trusting the One who truly is in control of the eternal pen.
Lord, I sing of your strength and I sing of your love. Let my words reflect that.
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