"Your life is your story
write well…
edit often"
My friend has a greeting card posted in her office with the tag line above.
This simple message speaks profoundly-nine words guiding a lifetime.
But how much of our story do we write?
Depends upon perspective I suppose. We have stories of victory, love, personal growth possibly peppered with narratives of disappointment, abuse, abandonment at the hands of others.
Portions of our stories have episodes where themes are dominated by actions beyond our control.
Think of a time when you were writing your story, and someone added edits that changed the story as you wanted it told- a story you were really excited to develop.
For example:
my nonfiction that references the marriage of my youth.
The family I dreamed of developing through that marriage was to be filled with love, support, and a bit of adventure to offset the daily grind. There were three little girls that I could mold with intention; they would be spiritual, confident, and better prepared for the complexities of our society than I was at comparable stages in my life. This was the story I was writing; I was developing my dream. I was writing it well, or so I thought.
Then my husband edited my story.
I did not ask for edit and I even resisted his edit.
He did not seem to understand that only my edits were permissible in my story. I was building upon my dream of true family and he was simply participating as my co-star. Well, my primary plot was sidelined when he expressed boredom and was never seen again.
I believe that God has provided us with resilient spirits to overcome life’s challenges. Think of this resilience as a muscle that must be utilized to avoid atrophy. To maintain fitness, muscles must be challenged. Your brain also needs engagement or, it also becomes sluggish.
Likewise, a tendency to allow obstacles to prevent you from being the best version of yourself will chip away at your resilience. Then one day, all the edits to your story will be created by someone else.
At that point, the story ceases to be your story at all.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (New International Version, Joshua 1:9)
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