| Through A Woman’s Eyes: What’s Your Story? |
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“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Psalm 37:23
I heard recently that, according to a survey, over ninety percent of people who use Facebook find that it makes them dissatisfied with their own lives. Why? Because what they read on Facebook causes them to believe that other people’s lives are better than their own.
I suppose it’s human nature to compare ourselves to others, but when we focus on what we see happening in other people’s lives, we miss the great things God has planned for our own life. It’s easy to get so caught up in what we think we should be doing and in trying to achieve the things the world tells us are important, that we miss the great adventure God has in store for each of us.
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find myself wondering what in the world God is up to in my life because it just doesn’t make sense to me. I have to remind myself that the way God works in my life is not necessarily the way He works in someone else’s life and, very often, it’s not what I would choose. I have to keep reminding my heart that what God values is worth far more than what the world values. If I put my life in His hands, He’ll help me make sense of it and replace envy and doubt with the joy of His presence.
Several years before he died, my dad decided to write down some of his memories. When you read what he wrote, it’s obvious that he enjoyed living, but he doesn’t try to sugar coat anything. He simply tells it like it happened. He tells the whole story including the highs and lows that we all experience.
He tells of happy times, such as the joy he felt at shedding his shoes when school was out and going barefoot all summer.
He tells some funny stories like the time he and some other boys skipped school to go fishing on the same day the biology teacher decided to take his class on a field trip to the pond.
His story includes some sad times. He grew up during the depression and remembers having to sell the family farm at auction.
In places, his story is heartrending. He joined the navy after Pearl Harbor and, because of his age, his mother had to sign the papers. In her diary she wrote, “Today I stuck a pen in my heart.”
Looking back at his life, he wrote, “Some things I regret. Yet to change one thing might have changed everything thereafter. Certainly, I don’t wish that.” With all its ups and downs, he believed that every part of his story somehow fit into God’s plan.
Looking at a snapshot of a life, such as you see on Facebook, doesn’t give a complete picture. We live in a world of instant communication, but God takes a lifetime to write our stories. If we take our eyes off others and look to Him, He’ll lead us on an exhilarating journey. His plan will almost certainly take us out of our comfort zone making it both scary and exciting. We don’t know where the future may take us but, if we seek Him with all our heart, His plan will always lead us closer to Him.
By Martha Hynson
mhynson1@gmail.com
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