The Rest of Your Story 12: What's your approach?

To start from part one, click here.

Woo-hoo!

Thank you so much for all of you who are joining in the 21-day challenge to wrap up this series. As of Monday night almost 300 of you left a comment! You can still sign up and enter the giveaway! 

My type A, get-it-done, let's-go personality wanted to dive in to the rest of my story right away. But as I sat in church recently I felt God tugging on my heart.

It turned out I needed to get something settled with Him first.

You see, I felt like I was letting God down.

Anyone else ever feel like this?

"Lord," I whispered, "I just want to hear you say 'Well done, good and faithful servant..."

And I started to fill in the rest with, "...so I need to change my story—I need to  do MORE, be MORE, grow MORE."

But then a Voice my heart knows seemed to ask a question.

What does a good and faithful servant do?

I paused, considering...

Listens and obeys.

And just like that, the answer came—both to the question and the striving in my story.

You see, we are not the Author...we are much-loved servants. We listen to the voice of our Master and live out what we hear. Because of Jesus, we don't have to do, be, strive MORE.

We're already accepted. We're already loved. We're already enough.

When we explore our story from that place, it becomes not a burden but an ADVENTURE—a glorious unfolding of all God has in store.

I've heard novelists declare they don't know how a story will end until they write it. They say this with a smile and it's clearly the part of the process that most delights them. 

I hope we can be that way too...not forcing our story, lining up plans, demanding our plot. But instead receiving, rejoicing, reveling in the truth that the Author LOVES us.

In light of that happy-heart news, I'll say it again...

Woo-hoo!

______________________________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUESTION: Here's a light-hearted look at different ways we approach our stories...

The Princess - She wants her story to be perfect and strives to make it so. She's got a pen and she's not afraid to use it!

The Procrastinator - She's waiting for "happily ever after" to come. You can often hear her saying, "When X happens then I'll...."

The Planner - She prefers lists to stilly stories. If it can't be planned and checked off, why bother including it in the plot? 

I'll confess...I've played all of those roles in the story of my life. The one I most often tend to be is The Princess. What about you? How can we approach our stories differently the next three weeks?

Every comment during the 21-day challenge = an entry for $50 to Dayspring.com!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

p.s. My bloggy friend Bonnie from Faith Barista is interviewing me on her site today. Stop by!

Subscribe by Email

Share |

Comments

[Granny Vonnie]

I've lived & experienced 81 years of life. My desire is to glorify GOD with what I have learned & encourage others to TRUST GOD.

[Mayte]

Like you I confess that I've played all of those roles. I used to be the Princess, but for the last 5 years I turned myself into the Procrastinator, and I am waiting for my Happy Ending, no great expectations, and afraid to dream big dreams. I want to be the Princess again, and take the pen and use it with no fear of writing another wrong chapter in my story. I can say I am survivor, for so many reasons. So I guess I will try to approach my story with a princess dress and a pen in hand.Thank you for this great challenge, certainly I have a lot to write about.

[wendy thomas]

glad to be joining in with this and thank you for doing it Holly.I expect most of us play all the roles at some stage in our life but like you the one I identify most with is the princess.But the good thing is knowing God as my dad I am his princess and even when circumstances are awful here everything is perfect simply because I have him as my father and know that I am loved just for being me and being me is enough .even better thats true for each one of us!

[Kristen@Moms Sharpening Moms]

Oh, girl. I am princess all the way. Way too much the "perfectionist". Angie's post at (in)courage really spoke to me about leaving the perfection up to Him. Sounds like a worthwhile way to approach my story these next few weeks!

So excited to be doing this with y'all!

[Maureen]

I am soooooo The Procrastinator!!! Not only in this sense of the definition, but in everything in life. I don't know why, but I work best under pressure, at the last moment. lol

[sillychilly]

I am very much a combination of the Procrastinator and the Planner. I have spent far too much of my life wasting time waiting for the perfect moment, that "just right" signal that my time had come. Now I want to run with the Lord and enjoy every moment of my new life with Him! I long to be the Princess, and just grab that pen and be spontaneous! Yet, I also want to be the unigue person the Lord created me to be, and not fit into any mold. I find it exciting to "watch" as I am being me and my life is being created, unfolded before me with me taking an active part by praying and seeking God's will daily. I just desire to be whoever the Lord wants me to be, to simply allow myself to be transformed according to His glorious will ~ to be able to do this without trying to "control the show" will make me so very happy! And yes, to hear those words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" What a joy that will be! [I hope...LOL] Thanks again, Holly, for this wonderful opportunity. I am so excited to be a part of this!

[Wilma]

While I was reading your three types of story writers I kept waiting for you to mention one that was me. Now as I sit and think of what to say I realize I to am some of each one - there are times in my life where I think my first name is Procrastination - Oh how I can put things off - especially if it is dealing with my own hidden emotional pockets. I never think of myself as a princess of anything - but when you explained her need to have it perfect - and grabbing up the pen to start I thought - yep thats me too. Jump right in with both feet then spend the next zillion hours correcting and correcting trying to make it perfect. Ok I said that is me too but again you come up with another trait - the planner - sometimes I would get a lot more done if I did not spend so much time planning and planning. But now I realize all those traits really key into my procrastionation ways. Why do I rewrite and rewrite - I am putting off sending or finishing the work - why do I spend time planning and planning often never even following the plan - again it is another why I find I can procrastinate - so with the process of elimination I realize Lord I need help with this tendency to find way to put off doing things I am suppose to be doing. Thanks for the mental stimulation - I had never before considered my redoing and redoing and my planning and planning as another way I procrastinate. Hum - Now I will have to do reality checks as to why I am doing what I am doing. Lord your servant needs Your help here. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness. All of you have a nice day.

[Bonnie Gray | FaithBarista]

I grew up, also, with a dominant bent to be Princess. But, in the latter part of my life, God has been remolding me to be a PrePrayer. Learning to balance the tension of princess with waiting, pausing and prayer. I'm enjoying the dependency He's growing in me. I'm finding freedom and joy in it. Going slow, and letting God form my story is my center. I fully trust He is in total control of when, how, and what my story is.

[Sharon Turner]

I would have liked to be the Princess but life didn't turn out the happily ever after. Procrastinator I've been that too. Living on the edge. I guess I'm the Planner now.Ready with the checklists.Just realized it's not for me to draw up those checklists. I have to seek God's will for my life and listen for His command before I take the next step. Thanks Holly. I now realize it's not my story but His story for me.

[Caroline]

For the first 30 years of my life, I felt like I was being carried away by the wind - no real purpose in life.. Then I committed myself to a daily bible study when I was 28, and things started turning around. All the loose ends of my life began to get tied, and God has been pruning and preparing me for my new journey. I'm addicted to the Lord, and I really love each new day God gives me!