By Shauna Leis

 

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:4-6

 

On a business trip a few weeks ago, I found myself getting lost in this really intriguing series of Christian science fiction books. It was all about knights, dragons, princesses, and fairy creatures, but with a spiritual and moral discipline weaved into the storyline. I was captivated by it and could not put the entire series down even at the detriment of sleep. I kept saying to myself, “Just one more page or just the other book in the series,” because I felt I had to know what was happening to the characters in those pages. My heart had become intertwined in their story as they fought to teach everyone about the God of the universe who had created all that was surrounding them each day. When I reached the end of the series, I knew more than I had when I had begun, but I still did not know how it all ended. There was so much more information that could be told to continue the story, but the author chose to end it where he deemed appropriate.

 

What God began to teach me through all of this is that our lives, too, are indeed a novel. Many people are reading our stories every day and watching our every move. Their stories are interwoven with ours, and they wait expectantly for each page to turn slowly, for each book in the series to be completed so they will know how it all turns out. However, that is the problem. The story never ends. Each day is something new as our lives continue to evolve in this journey called life. As the verse above indicates, we are a progression that will never be completed until we reach the end in either Heaven or Hell. 

 

God allows us free will to choose how we will live. He never forces His will on anyone so it is just like any good novel.  You never know how this is going to end – unless you know the ultimate Author. God knew you before you were even formed because your story is interwoven in your mother and father’s stories, and your children’s stories are interwoven with yours. Psalm 139:15-16 says, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” However, God knowing you is just not enough, and it does not complete the story. When we in turn know God personally and give Him ownership and control over our stories, we are assured the final chapter to our lives will be completed in Heaven. Our novels then take a bit of a twist. We do not know what the chapters in between look like, but we peeked ahead and read the last page, so we know we will spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. 

 

Funny thing on those in between chapters, they are so critical because others are reading our stories along with us and will be influenced by all that we say and do. Have you ever watched or read The Never Ending Story? It was one of my favorites as a little girl. The main character in the story, Bastian, begins reading this book that he stole from an antique bookstore. As he is reading it, he finds himself engrossed in the lives of the characters on those pages. Eventually he figures out that not only is he reading the story, he is living part of it too, and others are reading his story in return. 

 

Precious Friend, our lives are a never ending story because others are affected every day by the words we choose to say, the decisions we make, and the actions that we take. Romans 15:4 indicates, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Do you want to ensure that your story is one worth reading and following so that others might find hope through your example? Then, you must trust the Ultimate Author to help you write your story every minute of every day! Turn to Him now, and give Him the pen for a change!