“Your story isn’t finished yet”.
this thought challenged me in a semi-sleepy-state the other night. Most self-employed entrepreneurs can likely relate that sleep is a precious commodity that we rarely get to experience; even on a good day.
Minds race, thoughts, visions, goals, lists etc, bombard our conscious and ricochet through our temples. With millions of neurons firing about what our next days will hold, our attempts at REM sleep become futile. This night in particular was difficult to close my eyes. I was already rattled, blood pressure was high, my head was spinning and my brain felt like it was in a vice. When out of nowhere, this one thought echoed louder than the rest…”Your story isn’t finished yet”
In the midst of feeling a world of negative emotions; anger, guilt, frustration, unmotivated, stressed, tired and ready to toss in the white towel…I suddenly felt calm
now for me, this makes some sense. Growing up as a pastors kid, my mom the church secretary, hearing those words brought a sense of peace about my situation and about the chaos of that very moment. I had been recently reading through the book of Psalms (and to be honest, my scripture knowledge and dedication to the Word has not been up to par lately…but in dark circumstances we reach for the familiar when it feels we have nowhere to turn)… I remember reading Psalm 139:16 (16Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. ESV) and all I was left with was “Your Story isn’t finished yet”.
This certainly isn’t a blog post to try and convert anyone or discus faith etc… so whatever your belief, whatever your faith, whatever your thoughts on spirituality, please know that your story is far from over. Even as a believer in a divine creator that knows and guides my steps, I still have free will, I still doubt and I still struggle. But I have the potential to make choices that can negatively or positively affect every aspect of my life, my families life, my kids, my wife, my career…everything. It is these choices that will determine and ultimately shape the way I am and the man I will be.
Does our past define us? I think so, but I don’t think it has to keep us hostage. Our choices may change us, they may influence future decisions and they may challenge our current relationships, but it’s not the end…far from it.
Our past and present situations are merely footnotes in our story. They are references and research that provides the content to our best seller!
Your story isn’t over yet…keep writing it. Take comfort in the dark times, tough circumstances, and overwhelming chaos, that your story isn’t over. You can use the experience and knowledge your situation has given you to move forward, redeem and continue writing the story of your life.