I am Story

When I look back at the pattern of my life, I see the Hand of God writing a story on the scroll of my skin. If nothing else, when the dust settles on my desk, at least one story will have been written and finished. The book will close, and knowing the greatest Scribe, it will be a tale worth telling.

As stories go, characters are at the mercy of a pencil and eraser. However, in God's adventures, He seems to allow characters to inform the plot. It’s like he breathes life into his characters and they become three dimensional, more like actors and actresses on a stage than flat thoughts on a page.

His characters are all unique, no photocopied portraits in his parables. They all have their own dreams and needs; their own paradox of cheap chastity. The ink in his quill becomes blood, his heart begins to beat in theirs and he lets them go.

I believe God's character arc in my life-story is for me to become like Him: to be set apart, and pure, with the exclusive purpose of service. But my goals have often betrayed His. He lets me wander, developing my own plot, at times raising a wary eye to see what he thinks and at others, kneeling in surrender to the mystery of Story.

And I wonder, are the troubles in my path designed by his pen, or by my own foolishness? Like any good story teller, God surely knows that a plot without pain is irrelevant. Somehow I feel that most of my plot problems are my own doing, yet He uses crisis to advance the story from Act I to Act II.

God the story-teller has a perspective that I, as lead character, don't. His pen may follow the drama of my life, but He alone writes the ending. And He will see to it that when the last page is turned, my objectives - the desires of my heart - will have been realized and my conflicts resolved.

The mystery will be solved and I will look back and question how I missed the clues. He knew all along. I will be amazed at the plan that permeated the story. I’ll be surprised I didn’t see it sooner.

And is it really any surprise? After all, God is the original Story Teller and He wrote the Best-Seller. His objective was relationship and the conflict was our own blindness. His solution was tangible – He wrapped Himself in skin and sorrow. The characters are real and flawed, and at the last moment, God the Narrator throws a twist into the plot. When we thought God won, He died.

His body, though diseased by our sin, shattered the chains of death. The sequel is life and freedom forever.

“Thank you Lord that you are penning a story on my heart. May it be an allegory of amazing Grace, and a tale that is testimony to the triumph of its Author."

Pam Mytroen