Stories

Each of our lives are stamped by an authentic story. People morph into characters. Different events no longer remain fragmented, but piece together to form a plot filled with suspense and irony.

But at the end of our lives when the climax has met its resolution, will we look back and say it was a good story? Will it be one filled with adventure? Will it be an epic love story? Will good triumph over evil?

I believe our stories are not ours to create. I believe our stories have already been written and are now ours to live.

"All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be."
-Psalm 139:16

Rainy Day

She takes a meandering approach to life; not living with any agenda, but also lacking any clear direction. Still, she keeps a handful of prayers tucked in her pocket, saving them for a rainy day.

And today, when everything stable in her life crumbled, the rains came pouring down.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." -James 4:8

Created

We live in layers. And those layers are a testimony to the complexity of our Creator. We did not just accidentally evolve. We have been hand crafted, knit together, designed with a purpose.

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be."
-Psalm 139:13-16

Free

Brick by brick I built a wall around my heart. But instead of feeling more guarded, I only felt more alone. I was trapped until you came along. Brick by brick you tore that wall down only to build a bridge instead.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." -John 8:36

Walking in the Spirit

We were not made for a cookie cutter Christianity. We were made to walk in the Spirit. So when we start to play the comparison game, we are left with a recipe for disaster. Which walk of faith will you take today? The one God intends for you or the one he intends for your neighbor?

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
-Galatians 5:25-26

Needs

It seems as though we spent the summer in the sun and when we look back over the years, all the summers sort of blend together. Then we wake up only to find that the air feels cooler as a gentle breeze chases leaves from the trees to the ground. And I cannot help but wonder where the time goes. How do we spend our days? Are we merely driven to satisfy our own needs or do we find satisfaction in meeting the needs of others?

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." -Philippians 2:4

Treasures

While some demand, "Give me the stars! Hand me the moon!", she simply feels content to have a sky over her head. And while she knows with her mind that life has so much more to offer than things that sparkle and shine, she also believes it with her heart.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21

Security

There is something to be said for the everyday and the ordinary when security abides in all that is familiar. Especially when peacemakers take their posts, keeping watch over those who fall vulnerable to strife. Or when caretakers keep close to those who cannot care for themselves. In these times it is best not to throw caution to the wind, but to let caution sit on the shelf.

Navigating

Sometimes I stand in central command of a ship called Life; sailing stormy seas, navigating through uncharted waters. But then God sends a shifting wind my way to set me on a new course directed and ordained by him. It does not always make for smooth sailing, but it does always make the course clear.

In Progress

To live as a work in progress means to not arrive at the end result until Jesus calls us home. It means that we have longings that go unfulfilled. We have bumps and bruises that have yet to mend. We have unspeakable joy and unconditional love. We sometimes sing from mountain tops. We sometimes dwell in lonely valleys. But in all that we do and in all that we are, we never, ever go unnoticed.

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." -Philippians 1:6

Truth

A perceived reality does not measure up to truth. And truth does not cater to our emotions. Instead, truth sheds light on all that seems unclear. And it opens our eyes to the lies we are fed. So let's stop feeding on everything false and take a spoonful of grace to help us digest the truth.

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." -Proverbs 30:5-8