A story is not what we think it is. It isn’t words on a page. It’s life. Your life. My life. Lives of those around us and fictional lives of those who’ve never existed. When, as a young child, my parents instilled in me the love of reading, I didn’t realize I was writing my own story.

My every word, every thought, every smile, every cry is added to my life story.

I know many people who have regrets, life lessons they’ve learned, and pain they’ve suffered. They’ve learned from their mistakes and as I watch them I learn how to hold my tongue, take care of my body, apologize, and the list goes on. If you watch anyone long enough, they blunder. They slip-up, and I do too.

There’s something you should know about me. I am 15. I haven’t lived very long compared to others. The things I’ve learned will keep me from making some mistakes, but other mistakes I have made and will have to make for myself. Perhaps others will pick up on my faults and put into practice the lessons I learn the hard way.

I’ve already gleaned many lessons of which my adult friends remark “I wish I’d learned that at your age.” For that reason, I treasure those particular lessons.

I’ve heard my whole life that teenagers are expected to “rebel.” Now, I’m a teenager and I haven’t felt the urge to “rebel.” Maybe some would say I’ve been brainwashed into being “good,” but whether or not that’s the case, I’ve discovered a most remarkable word: grace. A simple word, used mainly in the New Testament, for it refers to the New Covenant in Christ’s blood.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” {Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV}

Grace. It’s a concept I’d only associated with salvation until a year ago when I read Graceful by Emily P. Freeman and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. At the same time, my mom and several of her friends had discovered those authors. My mom and I being very close, we talked about grace a lot over the past year. We recognized patterns in our own lives that were far from graceful. We held each other accountable. But what is grace? There are many definitions.

I see grace as praising God for another day. Grace is a thankful heart in the midst of stress or struggles. Grace is holding my tongue. Grace is forgiving others their imperfections in light of my own. Grace is giving myself a second chance, especially when I learn lessons the hard way.

Grace is not an excuse to sin. As Christians, we have freedom. And I guess that’s what grace is. Freedom. Freedom to live without guilt. Freedom to trust God in every circumstance. Freedom to dream big. Freedom to love others unconditionally.

Ah. Yes. Freedom. Isn’t it beautiful?

Freedom for me and others to break the stereotype that the word “teenager” brings to most people’s minds. Freedom to learn from others’ mistakes. Freedom to accept grace after making my own mistakes. Freedom to break molds, break chains, and break from Satan’s foothold in your life.

I want people who read my life story to be amazed by God’s grace despite my flaws. I want them to see that I chose not to conform to the patterns of this world. I want them to see the freedom in Christ with which I live.

I am still writing my story. The incredible thing is that you are writing your own story, too. And you can choose whether you want it to be characterized by grace or guilt, freedom or bondage, lessons learned or mistakes blatantly ignored. You can choose daily whether you follow Christ’s lead or your own whims.

Choose today. Every day. And please, choose grace. Go write your own story.

A story is not what we think it is. It isn’t words on a page. It’s life. Your life. My life.

{Photosource}

{One Thousand Gifts and Graceful are available on Dayspring.com}

Leave a Comment