Friday, August 2, 2013

Five Minutes of Story

I'm linking up over at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog today for another edition of Five Minute Friday. Each week Lisa posts a one word prompt, you write for five minutes solid, no editing, then hit publish.  Sounds simple, right?

Once you've published all she asks is that you visit the two bloggers who linked before you. That part really is easy.

Five Minute Friday

Okay, today's prompt-story

It's funny this is today's prompt because I was at dinner with a friend last night and she commented on this very thing.  My story.  Our story.  How the life we've lived, the chapters that have been written, have prepared my daughters for the lives they are living.

I love getting about half way through a good book. That's often the point where you can look back and see how the earlier chapters led you to the one you're currently reading. It's where you can at last see how some action that occurred in Chapter 3, that didn't seem to make any sense at the time, makes sense now that you've hit Chapter 5.

God is the author of my story, and He has peopled it with characters both large and small.  Some of these characters were introduced within the first few pages, others enter my story in later chapters. Some remain an integral part of the plot chapter after chapter, others for only a page or two.

He has carefully chosen the setting too, from an island in the Pacific to the New Jersey suburbs. From the mountains of East Tennessee to the land of tea and scones, He put me, His main character in this story, in those particular places not by happenstance, but by design.

My story is not great in the sense that word is often (over)used, but it's mine, and its sweet. Its the story of an ordinary girl navigating the ebb and flow of every day life. Into my story God has woven love and loss, struggle and hope, conflict and resolution. There's been mystery and adventure and a little hurry up and wait sprawled across the pages too.

Sometimes I've turned the page absolutely certain of what will happen next, only to find the plot has taken an unexpected twist. I keep reading though because the author is so good. He knows the end from the beginning. He connects all the dots. He has an intimate knowledge of the main character because He created her, and loves her as His own.

He is the author who never disappoints.

15 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your story with all of us. I love that we know the author of our stories and that He cares about us more than we can fathom. Stopping by from Five Minute Friday. Have a lovely weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was written soo well. I read it twice! To know the author of our books is the best part of all, and how He intertwines all His characters together is an added gift! Enjoy your week-end!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well said. The settings in God's story for you have certainly changed a lot, as they have in mine, and the plot always seems to thicken, huh ? I almost linked up with this one today to tell the story of my friend Carol who just passed away. So much I could say about her in five minutes but I'd just be getting started, and I need to take my time to honor her memory. I'm glad your "pages" of life have been written on mine in blogland. Technology is certain the Creator has used to unite his kids in some small ways.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's amazing how looking back at a story helps you to see how the pieces come together!... and unexpected twist in our stories, so glad that HE knows the ending of the story

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am dropping by from Five Minute Friday link up. I like how you mentioned that we don't know what happens in the next few chapters until we get there. It is so true, and important to keep going to see what God has for us next. Such an exciting story to be a part of! I am now following on Bloglovin.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love reading your story. I hope it takes forever to end. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great blog! I love what you said and how you have looked at your life. We've all experienced a lot of the same ups and downs, but each page is different. That's what makes each one of us interesting.
    The blog idea sounds like fun. I'd like to see more.

    ReplyDelete
  8. God's creativity is so awesome for each one of us. i'm very thankful for His healing hand for my mother this week especially ;)
    enjoy your weekend

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very well written and thought provoking. I think that all of us, when we take the time to know each other, have an interesting story.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love this Joyce! God has His fingerprints all over our stories.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ah, another good one and aren't we glad that HE is the author of our stories. What a mess our stories would likely be if HE were not.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this post, Joyce. "...it's mine, and it's sweet." Love how you talk about stories and the half-way point too. It made me think of the Narnia books and the witch throwing the lamp post bar into the new Narnian soil. I remember reading that and thinking,"Ah!" :) Somehow it fit in my mind with what you were saying.
    Thanks for the lovely reminders here.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Another great post, and to think it only took you 5 minutes to write it. That's talent!

    ReplyDelete