A Good Story

For class this week, we had to make a Life Book. It was decently daunting since we also had to include in it our futures. My first memories were very specific, for example, reciting Psalms 100 at church in front of hundreds when I was 5, and because I got such a great response, I also recited it at our garage sale. Or at preschool, everyday when I walked into The Little Red Playhouse the teacher would ask me, "Did you have french fries for lunch today? Did you bring me back any??" She always wanted to know about french fries...

And then, as I got older, the memories were still specific, but much more meaningful, and often tragic. They were embarrassing moments, like when I kissed a boy for the first time and he had just eaten Nacho Cheese Doritos, I was so ashamed and grossed out

I broke up with him the next day. And when we thought my Mom's brain tumor was back, I remember my family telling us at our grandmother's house, we saw the x-rays. I was tough, I didn't cry, I looked at the scans and declared that nothing was there. And then I started getting in trouble at school... shooting spit wads at kids.

In high school and college I remember feelings more than specifics. I remember accomplishments and letdowns. And I remember friends, and how I felt when I was with them. I know how I felt boarding the plane to move to Chicago, and the moment that Julie got there and we moved her in, and recently the sadness of her leaving Chicago.

As I began to write my future, I added in my hopes and dreams. I get married. I have a successful career. I have cute hilarious children. I have perfection. But it was almost boring. I look back and the hard moments in my life created who I am today. They turned into some of my biggest blessings. But how could I write tragedy into my future? You can't.

Life is full of curves. But if I were writing my own story, I wouldn't write any curves. It would be a straight line, or better yet with an uphill slant. But I'm not writing my own story. Someone much greater is writing that story for me. Someone who knows much

better than I do how life should go.

For example: Never would I have written this picture into my own story. But what a wonderful thing that Someone else wrote it in for me.

Evolution of Man Circa 2010.

grace and peace.