Hope for Living Your Story

Before you tell your story, you first have to live it. And that’s not as easy as it sounds.

-Writer Jeff Goins

I read his words this morning from my Bible with a cup of coffee in my hand. John was Jesus’ best friend during his 33 years walking on Middle Eastern dusty paths. After Jesus went back to Heaven, John penned the words: “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1, KJV). Long before my time, John’s time, or any time at all, Jesus was there. The first Book of the Bible opens with the same words: “In the beginning God….” (Genesis 1:1, KJV). Most authors have to start with some version of “Once upon a time….” Only stories about God can open with, “In the beginning…”

The heading on the page says “The Book of John.” But John knew he wasn’t the one writing. He was only an instrument, a recorder of the true Story. The Protagonist of the Story has always been, will always be, God.

My mind strays to the little volume that just came in the mail. The cover has my name on it. It is not inspired like the precious Book in my hands. Not even close. As wonderful as my editorial team is, I’m sure all of us forgot some details. I know that I could have said it better. We certainly could have lived it better. But, in one way, the story is not ours. It is the story of a faithful God Who has been there from the beginning.

When someone thumbs through the pages, they will see that I am not the only author. All six of us contributed to the story, because we lived it together. For so long, I hesitated to write it. For even longer, we hesitated to publish it. Our story isn’t remarkable. We’re just another family who got hit with a job loss. Another family who built a business, as accidental as it was.

For a while, there was a gentle tug of war with my editor/publisher pushing, “Just let it go!” and my desire to “let it go” to the recycle bin of my computer. “Who even cares about us?” I kept thinking. My husband reminded me it’s not about us but about other families walking through job loss and business building. God also reminds me that it’s not about us but about Him. As every story should be.

“What do you want to show your readers? What is your real message?” I stared back at the screen into my long-suffering editor’s face. My mind reached back to that first morning when I got an email from a friend I never met in person:

Six months of applying for every position imaginable and not one single interview told us that God had other plans. We have been truly blessed by this home business…..I will be praying for you all. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions. I know how stressful and hard it can be facing the unknown. God will provide. He will lead.   

–My online friend, Kim

When we didn’t know how we were going to survive, Kim offered me hope. She told us how they did it and we could, too. Kim’s family depended on God, and He absolutely came through for them.

“Hope,” I told my editor. I nodded slowly to the screen, where she watched me expectantly. “Yes, I want to offer them hope.” She nodded back, ever optimistic. “We can work with that.”

You might not need hope. That’s OK. Our book probably isn’t a good fit for you. But, just in case, let me tell you, like my friend Kim told me, “God will provide. He will lead.” That’s really all you need to know.

If you want more details, we wrote them down for you here. But be advised, no two stories are the same. The only thing that’s the same for us and for you is “In the beginning, God.” None of us are there yet, but —spoiler alert— the back of the Book says, “I am…the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that….enter in through the gates of the city….The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (Revelation 22:13, 14, 21, KJV). The ending of the Story is worth it all.