Somehow, we managed to raise voracious little readers. From before they could even identify letters, books were preferred to toys 10 to 1! Both of our children “made up” stories and pretended to read to us. Sometimes they were memorizations of the actual book, and sometimes they were perfectly imagined new ones.  Brett loved all books, no matter the size and was content just being read to, that is until his little sister hit the scene and taught him the down-low on workin’ the reading system. Kelsey quickly caught on to the ratio of words on the page to the length of story. According to her calculations, more words + more pages = more time being read to! <3

We like to laugh about the book “piles” that she would erect in her room. It was common to check on her only to find her sitting behind a tower of little books, taking them one at a time, “reading” it out loud to herself, then setting it on the discard pile until all were read and it was time to select new books for the pile. Then at bedtime, she would have the prepared smaller, more reasonable pile of books in the gleeful hopes that we might actually read all of them. The baby math would begin when I said how many books we could read that evening. If we could read many, it was free choice, but if there was only time for one or two, the formula was set in motion and she would inevitably say, “Read THIS one!” knowing that it would take the longest. That’s my girl!

Without even really trying, I seem to find metaphors a’plenty. (Ask Tom about all the sermon ideas I so generously offer!) And high on the list among them is story; it’s one of my favorite metaphors for life, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. As with all  good books, our days are made up of chapters that are full of insight, revelation, tragedy, comedy, drama, suspense, romance, conflict, resolution…..you get the idea. We experience all these things to a certain degree, it’s just that we can’t control them very well. Some chapters that we want to last forever seem to end all too quickly and others that we wince through and try to get to the end of can seem to last an eternity. But they’re all part of us – of our own walking, living, breathing book.

A friend once made the comment to me that “God’s stories are long stories.” I don’t think she will ever understand how I have come to lean on that truth. When we think of the men and women that God used throughout scripture to bring about serious change, we soon realize that the “good parts” of the story, Jonah’s whale, Sarah’s long-awaited son, Noah’s ark, Daniel’s den of lions…..these are all moments in time that we read about as Bible stories, but in reality, the story began long, long before the “good part”, we just don’t always get the benefit of the backstory….

I don’t know what’s ahead, sometimes I so wish I did and other times I’m sure I don’t. But I do know this – I may be the main character, even the heroine of my own story, but I’m not the author, nor do I want to be. Even though there have been some really hard to handle chapters in recent years, I still believe that the pages will turn, and God will lead me into “good parts” that I don’t see coming and that there will finally be purpose in the pain. And I also know that I’m OK with trusting Him to do that. It may take some time – after all, God’s stories are long stories – but I’m leaning hard on the promise of Romans 8:38, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

Blessed to be sharing this chapter with you,

Shellie ♥

https://discoverlentwithme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/11-Through-All-of-It.m4a?_=1

Through All Of It
Colton Dixon

There are days I’ve taken more than I can give
And there are choices that I made
That I wouldn’t make again
I’ve had my share of laughter
Of tears and troubled times
This has been the story of my life

I have won and I have lost
I got it right sometimes
But sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it

You were there when it all came down on me
And I was blinded by my fear
And I struggled to believe
But in those unclear moments
You were the one keeping me strong
This is how my story’s always gone

I have won and I have lost
I got it right sometimes
But sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it

And this is who You are
More constant than the stars up in the sky
All these years of our lives
I look back and I see You
Right now I still do
And I’m always going to

I have won and I have lost
I got it right sometimes
But sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy
I’ve seen regret
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it
Oh and You have been my God
Through all ofit
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it