I had been anticipating this conference for months.  I thought and I prayed and I hoped it would be the fresh air I’d been craving.  After a few years of hanging out in the Land Between, I was ready for some fresh life to fill my weary body.  Storyline promised to tell us how we can write a better story for our lives, but what Storyline didn’t let on initially, was that I would realize I was already telling a better story.

The most significant exercise I completed in the brief few days was to chart significant moments in my life.  At my age, they said I’d probably have about 15 defining turns, either positive or negative.  We were instructed to chart it out like a timeline and each length of line should determine the level of significance in our lives.  For instance, when my Uncle Doug died last January, his death was more significant to me than having a horrible college semester as a transfer student.  Therefore, that line was longer.  I still cannot believe how listing a series of events on paper could lead me to discover some themes about my life.  I was speechless with what  it revealed.

Ultimately, I realized I rarely view my life as a big picture.  I break the big picture down into tiny pixels and let circumstances have more weight than what they’re qualified to carry.  I’ve failed to see the incredibly perfect weaving of God’s hand among the positive and negative turns I’ve experienced.  Suddenly, what seemed like a difficult moment in my storyline, resulted in some incredibly positive outcomes shortly thereafter.  It was as if the difficult turns were preparing me for something that was heading in my direction.  

I also realized that a good story is always about love, always about a great risk, and most often involves a great deal of conflict.  Like a good movie, conflict is what makes a good story.  Why would that be any different with the story I’m telling with my life?  Conflict is more like adventure; don’t be surprised by it.  Expect it.  That’s what makes a good story.

This conference, Storyline, made me “realize the amazing story I’ve already lived and it has allowed me to gain perspective that will make the story I’m living even better moving forward.”

Here is a sneak peak of some notes from the conference.

Lastly, Ian Cron, author of the new book,  Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir…Of Sorts (I couldn’t put the book down), reminded us this truth:  “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.”  I hope you’ll be inspired to write a better storyline for your own life too.

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