I wonder why I can’t stop writing stories. Last week, we talked about the elements of a good story. There’s joy, conflict, friends, foes, climax, weirdoes, supernatural things, and other English class jargon. I remember when I learned how to write stories in my high school creative writing class with Joaquin Zihuatenjo (google him. He’s amazing). I always loved how life seemed to come into clarity whenever you read a great piece of fiction.
The other day one of my CGA teachers said, “What if God never intended you to live a life? Rather, what if God wanted you to live a story?” It hit me right between the eyes. I know why God has me write: It makes my life clearer. Now I can see why God gives us struggles. I can see why God makes us flawed. I can see why there are so many incongruities: it’s because God wants us to rely on Him to tell a good story with our lives.
Sometimes I look at the characters in the stories I write. Man, they can be weird. I know that’s what makes good stories, but there are days when I think: “Where the heck did THAT person come from?” For instance, the first character I ever dreamed was a partying frat-type dude who has a propensity for womanizing and smooth jazz. Where did that guy come from? I think often times whenever we encounter something monumental with God, it seems like God has introduced a new character into our lives. Sure, they’ve been familiar to us, but when we see them up close, they are the most unreal real we’ve ever known.
I think sometimes God is like that. When I stare at an awesome sunset, when I feel understood by a new friend, when I can write a coherent thought that I’ve been chewing on for months, I feel like I’m staring at the eyes of God: like it can't be real, and yet, more real than anything I’ve ever known.
