It’s been a while since I’ve written. I love to write, so I’ve been trying to discern why I can’t write a blog to save my life. I also love to read. I’ve probably read three books on the Race for every blog I’ve written. Oops.
You see, everyone back home wants to know what’s up. My mum and dad want to know that I’m alive. My sister wants to know what country Nicaragua is in [sic]. My friends want to know about the cool stuff I’m doing.
I’ve learned that blogs are a simple way to accomplish all of these and keep everyone happy. So why can’t I write? I’ve been wondering this for quite a while. But today I finally discovered the answer in a book I’m reading:
“People who live good stories are too busy to write about them.”
–A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
COME ON.
Please see my heart in this – I am not bragging about the story I’m living. I have zero interest in making this about my glory (1 Corinthians 1:31). My goal in writing is to reflect on the story that the Author of my faith is writing in and through me. Period.
I get really stoked about writing when I think about it like that, but sometimes I’m just really busy living the story that God is writing. That’s been my excuse for the past 8 months at least. I genuinely hope we get a chance to sit down and share stories face to face…but that’s for another day.
Today I’m going to tell you a story about a girl I know. Three years ago she attended a networking event and afterwards went to dinner with a handful of coworkers and successful corporate business people. The conversation got particularly interesting when one of the successful businessmen asked everyone to go around and share the deepest dream in their hearts – what they would do with their lives if money wasn’t a factor. Some people would say this girl was young and naive, so when it was her turn to share, the starry-eyed girl let it rip. She explained that she’d love to do something unconventional, like start and manage a kid’s home on the beach. A safe haven for kids who have been left behind or neglected, abandoned. And she would keep a bunch of surfboards at the house and take the kids out to do “surf therapy.” She explained how she so often experienced God at the beach – His joy and peace – and it’s her desire to share that with everyone, especially kids who so desperately need His joy and peace.
You better believe she captured everyone’s attention at that table. But deep down she knew it was just a silly, unrealistic dream. You see, she was too busy writing her own story to actually believe that her craziest dream could be the story that the Author was waiting to write.
Fast forward three years and that starry-eyed girl is in Costa Rica doing surf ministry. You probably guessed right – she’s me. And that silly dream of mine? It’s now my reality.
I’d be willing to bet that you have one of those “silly” dreams too. That thing in your heart that you’re scared to even acknowledge is there. That little spark that makes you feel like there’s got to be something more to life. If you’re like me you’ve probably turned blue in the face trying to blow it out, or write it off as impossible or insignificant. Like I was, you might be trying to write your own story.
I’m also willing to bet that you didn’t put that dream in your heart. And it might not make any sense, but that’s okay. I know a really good Author who goes around writing dreams on our hearts because He wants to tell a better story through our lives. And here’s the coolest part – we get to choose to follow those dreams or not. God’s going to love us regardless of what we do or don’t do. Nothing will change that. But He wants to change us. He doesn’t want us to live boring, meaningless lives. That thing in your heart that you can’t seem to get rid of…that’s something He’s inviting you into. All you have to do is choose.
Choose wisely.
