My favorite stories are the ones I never want to end. The plot is so well devised, the characters so beloved, that it’s honestly a little heartbreaking to think about leaving them once the last page is turned. When I’m caught up in a story’s spell, it’s not the “How” or the “When” that I’m concerned with. Those details have already been sewn by the author. I, the reader, am simply along for the ride, experiencing each new moment for the first time.
Why is it that I can be so present when reading others’ stories, but not my own?
When I read another’s story, I’m completely powerless. I have no say in how it will end or even how it will progress, but I enjoy that feeling of being taken on a journey. I enjoy the feeling of putting my faith in another’s ability to shape my experience with their gift.
If I can put so much faith in a story by an author, why should I fear when it comes to my story by the Author?
God is the Master Craftsman. He has painstakingly written my story, created and commanded every single detail, before I was even conceived. (Psalm 139:16) Before I even had a name, He wrote it upon His palms. (Isaiah 49:16) He cares so deeply, so intimately, for my story that He has numbered the hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30).
Can you imagine any other author knowing exactly how many hairs are on their character’s head?!
My point is that God writes with extravagant, fathomless love. His Grace adorns every chapter of my life, even when I cannot see past the latest plot twist. And those plot twists are real. They have the ability to make me feel as though my story is worthless, as though the next page will be completely blank and infinite.
That is impossible.
My story matters. It matters deeply to the One who wrote it. My story is His creation and He revels in its beauty. While I’m worried over how it will end, God longs for me to see how it is. He calls me to be a reader of His word, to let Him take me on this journey of my life and enjoy the moments He has divined. To simple enjoy His work.
Of course, there will be moments of loss, moments of joy, moments that seem endless and moments that are over far too soon. But moments like that, no matter how they make me feel, cannot ever do justice to the absolute truth that my story is far from over. That I will never have a blank page because even the shortest chapters have been blessings.
I’m in the midst of an incredible story. So are you. We can’t know how it will end, or even what will happen next. It’s thrilling, isn’t it?
Turn the page. The Author is waiting to astound you.
