Life is crazy and it often just passes us by. We fail to stop and really observe the world around us. We are always looking for the next big thing to do. Everyone wants to live an extraordinary life full of adventure and insane stories, and we often try to do that on our own. We want to create our own stories and write them the way we think they should be written. We want to have control over the things we do and the way we choose to live, and lately I have been guilty of that as well.
But what I’ve realized is that the way I would write my story, is nothing compared to the way God would write my story. By writing my own story I would have some crazy adventures, and I would enjoy life. It would be satisfactory and I would have some great memories to carry with me.
But is that really how I want to live my life?
Do I really just want to live a satisfactory life full of okay adventures?
Am I willing to settle for a life that I enjoy, but don’t love?
I want to live a life full of excitement and joy, adventure and craziness! I want to be able to look back on my life and absolutely love every minute of it, not just enjoy it. But if this is the kind of life I want to live, it has become clear to me that I cannot write my own story. I may be a decent author, but I would rather leave my story in the hands of someone who has the ability to make it something far greater than I could ever imagine. I want to give God the pencil and paper instead of just letting Him borrow it every now and then. I want Him to create a complete and incredible story for me to live, because whenever I have given Him a small section in the past, He has created something far greater than I could have ever imagined.
If I didn’t give God the pencil and paper for this year, there is no way I would be sitting here in San Pedro, Guatemala writing this blog. And as I’ve been here, I have had to continue to remind myself that I am not the author. I am here to do God’s will and He has a far greater plan for me even while I am here!
At the beginning of these few months I was so focused on experiencing all that I could while I am here. I was so concerned with the experiences I would have and whether or not there would be enough time to do it all. But that is not the mindset that God has called me to have. I tried to take my story into my own hands. I figured God brought me here and that was enough, I had given Him enough control. I could take things into my own hands from there and do what I thought was necessary to enjoy my race. But once again, God stepped in and reminded me that He is a much better author and knows so much more about what I truly need to live an incredible life and absolutely love my race.
Once I finally gave God control again, He has showed up in crazy amazing ways. Once I let go of what I thought I needed and let Him write my story once again, He has revealed so much to me and I have enjoyed what I am doing here so much more! By giving Him control I have learned more about myself and what my future may hold. I have seen a woman go from broken and ashamed of who she is because she was forced to beg on the streets, to a beautiful woman full of joy with a smile that can brighten any room and a laugh that is so contagious. I also had the joys of watching this same woman experience the healing power of God. Her knee was in so much pain that she was unable to work which was the cause of her being forced to beg in the streets for the past 9 months and through 3 weeks of daily prayer she is now able to say that her knee is healed and she is able to look for work again. (If you would like to read more about this amazing woman feel free to check out my last blog). None of these things would be possible if I was still trying to write my own story instead of letting God be the author, and I am so grateful that He is such an amazing author.
By letting Him write my story, my life has been so full of joy these past few weeks and I am so excited to see what the next chapter He is writing will hold!
