Have you ever read a book where the chapters are completely unrelated? You know the kind where you can randomly skip through the pages, paying little attention to what came before or after a particular event. The story unfolds just as it should, and each section of the novel holds unique treasures of its own. The chapters stand out independent of one another, yet somehow the story is woven together, forming a perfect tale that captures the reader’s interest.
Other books are designed to be sequential. Cause and effect relationships dictate the outcomes, and the story line is often predictable. Each character has a specific role to play, and every action has a consequence or reward. Right and wrong govern the direction of the narrative, and you hold out hope that everyone will live “happily ever after”.
I have lived most of my life expecting reality to resemble book #2. I weighed every decision carefully and considered all possible outcomes before taking action. I lived in fear, and I rarely took risks. Doubt and uncertainty plagued me, and security became the ultimate goal. Self protection robbed me of true joy, and the illusion of “happily ever after” kept me stuck in a spiral of defeat. Life was all about pain management, and no one could be trusted.
Somewhere along this journey, I’ve begun to understand that the outcome of the story is not up to me. When I finally surrendered to the idea that nothing happens in God’s world by mistake, I was be free to embrace a new way of living that has offered me true joy and an unfamiliar peace.
Someone once told me there is no such thing as right or wrong decisions. There are simply choices. And each step we take can easily be redirected if we simply invite God into the process. This fresh perspective has ushered in a new season of life I’ve longed to experience. There is freedom in knowing that there is nothing I cannot handle as long as I trust in God’s sovereignty.
My season of singleness comes to a close soon, and a new adventure begins. This next stage of my life will hold treasures and challenges I look forward to embracing. Entering into a partnership with the man I love marks a new beginning. I’m not sure whether chapters of my past are directly related to this recently developing story line, but today I’m not afraid. I know that God is walking alongside me, and life will unfold just as it should.
I wonder if this is what Christ meant when he said, “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”?