“If I could write my story, where would I be next year?”

…a question my roommate asked herself in a conversation we were having about the future. She was referencing Donald Miller’s new book, which I haven’t read… but want to give credit where credit is due.

The moment she asked that question, I fell in love with it. It speaks so much to what I’ve been learning about myself, life, and God. If I had the option to write out the rest of my life story, what would it look like? What would it say? I like this question for several reasons:

1. It gives us permission and space to dream. When you write a story, you have creative license–you can make the impossible happen. Your dreams can come true.

2. You get to choose. Your life isn’t some preordained pathway that only God is privy to and chooses to make you blind to. You have a lot of say and control over your life and what happens in it. It’s very empowering.

3. It gives me hope. If I can dream, AND I can make my dreams come true, my life can be pretty freakin great.

4. When I think about what I want my story to say, it helps me sort out the things in my life that matter from the things that don’t. This is important, of course, because I realize that I give a lot of space and energy to things that don’t really matter that much.

5. It helps me to distinguish between the things I do have control over, and the things I have to hope with patience for. Easier said than done.

If you could write your story, what would it say? How will you begin to write your story to say what you want it to and then live it out?

Advertisement