I love books and everything about them. I love turning the pages and reading to discover what is next. I love opening a new book and smelling the fresh, crisp pages that yearn to be turned. I love beginnings and endings but impatience fills me when the end cannot get here soon enough. I love imagining myself playing the role of different characters and I long to fill the pages with my own story – what is, what has already been written and what is yet to be. One book is so much more than words, sentences, chapters, beginnings and endings. The beauty is what lies between the bookends that mark beginning to end. The beauty is the story that waits to be told and shared with others.

Our story

Looking at life looks a lot like a book with its title, chapters, prologue and perhaps a sequel. The title describes who we are in a few short words. The chapters share the seasons of our lives. The prologue announces us to the world and a sequel is the gift of continuing the story God gave us in new and exciting ways.

As I reflect on my own story, I skim over the chapters that I have now finished.

Chapter 1 – Birth

Chapter 2 – Childhood

Chapter 3 – Starting school and the elementary years ( learning to read and the opening of my eyes to the beauty of words)

Chapter 4 – High school and graduation – What do I want to be when I grow up?

Chapter 5 – College – working toward my education degree

Chapter 6 – My first teaching job – I love kindergarten

Chapter 7 – My career as a teacher

Chapter 8 – 30 years and now Retirement!

Beginning Soon…

The Sequel – My next Steps in Retirement- New beginnings

The chapters of our lives are not a set number of pages, words or sentences. It is God’s plan laid out beautifully, captivating us with the beauty and love that marks the seasons of our lives. It describes the ups and downs, the beginnings and endings, the messy and amazing throughout each word, picture and statement. The story of our lives is a reflection of Jesus’ love. It is the blessing of God’s grace throughout the story that He chose for us and continues to write for each of us according to His plan.

[Tweet “Our story is God’s beautiful plan laid out in each chapter leaving a legacy in each written word.”]

Our story is always beautiful in the eyes of God and full of the love He feels for each of us. God writes the pages of our stories to share His legacy with the world. Our story is His story when we allow His words to collide with ours in the very choices we make in our lives.

Our legacy is written in the story of our lives. Aligning our stories with God will leave a legacy of honoring Him in each of our chapters. I want my story to create a legacy for my children that tells of a live well-lived and one that pointed to God in the paths that I chose. I want the bookends of my life, my beginning and end, to stand strong against the test of time because God was my beginning and end.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NLT

Our stories began because we were chosen by God. Our legacy continues because we said “yes” to God and the story He created for us.

Is your story a reflection of God? How will you continue your legacy in your story?

In grace and peace,

Mary

Linking with these lovely ladies this week:

Holly #TestimonyTuesday

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Kelly #RaRalinkup

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Jennifer #TellHisStory

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Beth #WeddedWednesday

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Susan #DanceWithJesus

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