Friday, September 17, 2021

Turn the Page

Have you ever read a book and you got to a part where you were afraid or unsure about turning the page? You don't know what is coming next. Will it be good or bad for the characters or the plot?  I think we all have been there. It's even scarier when this analogy applies to our lives. 

The problem is we live under the illusion that we are the author of our biography. Our story is made up of the choices we make. Each choice may be a chapter or we may have several decisions in a single chapter. So, that part of our story we can control, sort of. But we aren't the writer of our personal tale. 

God is the author because He is the only one who is in control of our world. He's God. He's in control of all the world. Remember the song we sang as children? "He's got the whole world in His hands...He's got the little bitty babies in His hands...He's got you and me brother in His hands, He's got you and me sister in His hands...He's got the whole world in His hands."

That simple song is true. Now God gave each of us this thing call 'free will' and because of that we aren't puppets on a string that God plays with to control our lives. He allows us to make choices. Right or wrong. He'd prefer we make right decisions. He's taught us how to make right decisions but we ultimately choose.

If I were God, I might do things differently. Maybe allow some choices but if I knew a choice would be detrimental to you, I’d make the right choice for you or make it where the only choice is right. But then it's really not a choice is it? 

God whispers to us in our times of doubt or confusion, frustration or anxiety, turn the page. You aren't at the end of your story. You can still make the right choices. As God pens our biography, He writes it as it is, mistakes, sins, anger, prejudices, love, compassion, hope. It's all there. He knows how your story ends but He doesn't always let us know. 

Sometimes I wish He'd write a rough draft then allow us to edit it to make it sound good, look good. No embarrassments. No sins. No tears. Only joy, happiness, laughter. It might be nice but then we'd miss out on things like forgiveness, grace, mercy, do-overs.

I don't know where you are in your story but let me encourage you...turn the page. Trust the author. He knows you best and loves you most.