Who’s Writing Your Story?
By Kaitlin 'Kat' Sandberg
'You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. '
Psalms 139:16
I keep thinking of the worship song whose lyrics are: “Catch me up in your story/All my life for your glory.” It caused me to ponder on the difference between the times when I’ve tried to write my own story and when I allowed Him to be the author of my life. Writing your own story is exhausting… Control is fear at work; often, it will be a story of an orphan who is constantly striving. He calls His sons and daughters to walk a path of humility, surrender, and trust. It is the concept of being led by the Spirit. And if He is leading, it’s going to be good.
Something the Lord revealed to me recently. The only time you “miss out” is when you agree with the fear of missing out. It’s an orphan mindset. You try to obtain and hold onto what you think is good. Which is true; these things can be good. But when you grip a thing so tightly that you want it more than God, then it becomes an idol. This locks a person into being unable to receive the things God has for them in the present (often right in front of our noses). And left unchecked, it will cause self-inflicted wounds.
It’s like sitting at a restaurant and coveting the food delivered to the table next to you. You’ll completely forget about the food made specifically for you as comparison; pride and jealousy fill your heart. Their food may smell delicious, but what if you are allergic to one of its ingredients? What we think looks appetizing may not be good for us and may hurt us. The good news: there is one who knows you better than you know yourself. He’s the good father.
“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a
fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask
him!”
Matthew 7:9-11 ESV
He knows what you need and who you need in every season of life. Even in the hardships, pain, and trials, He writes a story of victory and faithfulness. So that you will be complete and lack nothing.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing
of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 ESV
The things He writes, you couldn’t even make it up if you tried. I find myself sitting at tables with people I never knew existed. Doing things I never imagined myself doing, nor did I think I was capable of. I realized I don’t have what it takes, but He does, and that’s all that matters. The more I surrender, the more I am left in the awe of God. It’s better than I could have dreamed. He invites you to a journey with Him, to lay down your pen, take up your cross, and follow Him.
The posture of a son is to steward what His Father has given him and grab hold of his inheritance. He is aware that all things flow from Him. Being led by the spirit is more than just waiting on God to throw things in your lap. It requires you to do what you can to partner with His story and His promises. If called to nations, learn the language or obtain a passport. If it is to preach, study public speaking. Orphans expect things to be handed to them; sons know their inheritance and are willing to pursue the Father.
Sons know that the hardships will catapult them into growth. Embracing tension and steeping in the uncomfortable. They have the heart posture of “I never want to stay the same.” Although there’s no arrival point, it’s a journey of uncovering and revealing Christ in you. It requires asking the Lord and being completely obedient to His response.
As someone who loves ‘katastic adventures’, I have a habit of trying to write my own adventure. I love to go and pioneer, and I often say yes before I ask Him. A wise friend inspired me to implement a safeguard: to pause, ask, and listen for His answer. (At least I try…) Then surrender to His answer of no, not-yet, yes, must, or silence…
The must is a pulling where my spirit is already there. There’s no doubt or indecision about whether or not to go, but a driving force that Holy Spirit informs me, this is crucial to your destiny.
The yes is permission. Where His heart says, “You can go.”
The no is where a wrestling match begins. My flesh (My heart’s wants and desires) tries to overrule the no of the Lord. In the beginning, the no of the Lord was loud. Many times, my flesh won, resulting in me being spent and burnt out. As my obedience increases in surrendering to His “no,” the quieter he whispers the no. At first, it took a firm no, but now it’s more of a whisper because I’ve learned the sound of my Father’s voice. I’ve learned by experience that He has good reasons, and it is to my benefit if He says no. Learning to allow Him to write my story, I find life is filled with unbridled adventures. The light whisper of no becomes a gentleness that reaps the protection of the Father’s hand. It’s not a punishment or a beating for doing something wrong. It is for my good.
When the Lord is silent, He invites us to choose. It’s not about being right or wrong, but it begs the question: Does it honor God? Does it produce good fruit? The reality is sometimes (not all the time), our hearts are so aligned with His that He wants to do what we want to do.
The not-yet is the most challenging place of tension to stand in. It’s a test of trusting His perfect timing— another aspect of letting Him write your story.
So… Will you surrender your own narrative for His? Will you let Him write your story, or will you
rob Him of His glory?