Rewriting My Story

Recently I was cleaning off my bookshelf and came across two books that I hadn’t read. Inspired by Marie Kondo, I knew I had to make a decision about whether or not these two were keepers. Certainly, at one point I had been drawn in by the catchy title on the cover or motivated enough by the speaker at the conference I attended to purchase them, but both sat unopened and unread. I determined that if these two were worthy of the precious space on my newly organized bookshelf, I had to know the content, so I started reading both. At the same time.

Book number one addressed getting “unstuck”. I’d been feeling a little sticky lately, so the thought of getting unstuck seemed like a good idea, plus I’m not a kid anymore so I do try to avoid being stuck in things. The other was entitled, Finding Your Calling. Why we were put on this earth is a topic that has been on everyone’s mind from the beginning of time, so I’m all in. I’m ready to be unstuck and unravel the mystery of my calling, as well as everyone else’s. Thank goodness someone finally wrote about this, right?

Both books seemed like a relatively easy read. Short chapters with an exercise at the end of each. I planned to read one chapter from each book each day. No big deal. I can knock these out in no time and move on to decluttering the next item on Marie’s list. Chapters one through three were relatively easy. I read the chapters, completed the exercises and checked those items off my To-Do list for the day. Done. Next item, please.

Day Four in my unstuck book rocked my world. It reminded me that I had the power to change my story. That I get to decide who has a starring role. That I can choose to be a victim of my past, present and future circumstances OR I can view those situations through a new lens in light of God’s provision and protection. I can be a survivor or I can continue drowning in hurt feelings and past disappointments. I can thrive and grow from my life experiences or I can live defeated and wither away.

On Day Five I decided that an intervention must be taking place. I started to look closely at the cars driving in front of my house to see if they intended to pull in the driveway. Both books covered the same topic in the same chapter – who you surround yourself with and who you allow to speak into your life. This is a thought that I embrace wholeheartedly, but what are the odds that these two authors, who may or may not be on each other’s radar, would both cover this topic in chapter five of their respective books? Just for me, obviously.

I began to think that my holding onto these two books for three plus years may not be a coincidence at all. That God must be up to something. That He wanted to get my attention. Not that He wants me to unfriend anyone on Facebook, but that He might want to expand my circle of influence and those who influence me. That He wants to stretch me and grow me. That He wants me to see my life through His eyes and not my own. A divine intervention of sorts.

An effective intervention results in one choosing to seek treatment and make changes in their thought patterns, habits and behaviors. Decisions must be made. Changes must take place. We must declutter our thoughts like we declutter our closets. I must ask myself, does holding onto the feelings of rejection from a past breakup “spark joy” as Marie says, or does it weigh me down like the chunky, patterned sweater I’ve had in my closet since the ‘80s? What thoughts clutter your worldview? Does carrying around the resentment of being overlooked for a promotion look good on you? Does being angry at the friend, the parent or the spouse who abandoned you breathe life into you and those you love, or does it cause you to build walls to keep others from getting too close? We all know the answers.

Friends, you CAN rewrite your story. And I can rewrite mine. It’s not about blocking out the past or pretending to be okay when you feel anything but. It’s about a shift in perspective. A God’s eye view of your life. We can easily miss out on the abundant life He has planned for us by clinging to the hurts, the heartaches, the regrets, and the failures from which we have already been rescued. OR we can ask Him to help us see our lives from His point of view, in light of His provision and His protection. Did the missed job opportunity that would have demanded more hours of your day allow you to spend much-needed, quality time with your family? Did the friend who hurt you, encourage you to be the best version of yourself, or did you find yourself making poor choices when you were together?

We alone have the authority to decide who stars in our story, but sometimes we need a little help with character development. With God’s help, we can develop a new perspective and a better understanding of the storyline. His version will always be better than any story we could write for ourselves. Definitely one worth keeping!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

---

What I’m Reading