A Story Worth Telling

When I was young, I wanted a life of adventure. I devoured books about kids who lived exciting lives and did exotic things. Getting kidnapped, living through a war, flying an airplane blind, being trapped in a cave, persevering through pain, unearthing a mystery, running from Al Capone… Just reading about it gave me a thrill like no other, and I longed to have a life like that.
To have that broken piece of pottery in the backyard mean something. To actually find another world in the wardrobe. To be in a life-threatening situation and just drink in the excitement of it.
Compared to the lives of these heroic kids, my life was absolutely dull and uninteresting. I’d never done anything like them; I felt like I’d never been given the chance. Sure, these were fictitious stories – but I still wanted them to come true for me. I wanted to have a story worth telling.
But looking back on my life, I would say that it has been exciting – just not in the way that I wanted.
We adopted three children when I was nine years old. That alone changed my life far more than I could ever have imagined. Shortly before the adoption was finalized, my mom had a baby; our family doubled in size in just one year.
When I was almost thirteen, we moved to Southern Oregon which required a lot of adjustment. I was awkward and shy, and didn’t know how to make new friends. I kept trying to “fit in” and be someone I wasn’t.
When I was fourteen, I was struggling a lot spiritually. I knew that I didn’t love God like I should, but I didn’t know how to love Him out of my heart and not out of obligation.
Ten days before I turned fifteen, my brother drowned, and my world was shattered. I was lost; alone in a swirling sea of depression and grief. I was angry; I wanted to hurt myself. I spent countless nights crying out to God, begging Him for some kind of release.
And He gave it.
Like pure water in a parched land, God revealed Himself to me and refreshed my soul. He drew me into His embrace and filled me with His love. He has given me peace that surpasses all understanding.
My life may not make a great children’s adventure book, but for an ordinary person, I would say that it’s been pretty interesting. And it isn’t even over yet.
Whether or not our lives are filled with thrilling adventures or dangerous missions, our goal should be to glorify Christ in all that we do. If we live the way that God tells us to, then our lives will be a story worth telling.

~Riah