Stories

 I have a lot of stories to tell. All of us do. This thought I credit to listening to Andy Stanley and his series on Better Decisions / Fewer Regrets. I have stories I don't even want to tell that result from bad decisions I have made. The thought that Andy left with me is looking forward. How do I want the story of the next chapter of my life to be? The story can go more than one way depending on the decisions I make going forward. I am approximately 3/4 of the way through my life. I would like the last few chapters to be written in a way I wouldn't mind telling my story. I think of George MacDonald and his stories, often the main character would make mistakes in his life and correct them as he aged. The Character would end up in a positive light in the last chapter. I have so many stories I could tell. I said if I ever wrote a book on my life I would call it "Carved By The Master". So I would like to look to the future and ask in the decisions I make how do I want my story to be. Is it a story I can be proud of or will it be like some of my past chapters that I really don't want to tell?  The choice is mine. That is one of the questions Andy advises us to ask about the decisions we make. When the decision is history will it be a story I can be proud of and want to tell? I have thought back to a couple of stories in my past and in light of Andy's teaching I thought of a couple I can look back on and realize I made a good decision.  One morning when I was taking my son to work at 5 AM I saw a couple of ladies standing on the street corner trying to get a ride. I could tell they were drunk. I thought if they are still there on my way home I will give them a ride so they don't get hurt. They were still there, and I did give them a ride. They were two sisters that had been celebrating one sister's birthday.  One sister got in the front seat and directed me where to go to take her sister home. I did and then she directed me to her house, she wanted me to come in and I knew it would be wrong. She was pretty and that made it really hard. I refused, I realized she was drunk, and also I was wanting to be faithful to my God and my wife. It would have been so easy to give in but my story today would be different. The story could have ended with a child being raised by a single mom, and me paying child support.  Another time a sister-in-law borrowed some money from me, she said she would do anything to pay me back. I didn't want anything from her and refused to accept what she was offering.  I look back and am thankful I did the right thing and have no regrets today.  What if the story had been different and two sisters would either have an issue between them or a hurtful secret to carry to their grave.  Another time I helped a single lady in our church and I was single at that time. I traded cars with her for a day to do a repair on her car and she told me when any man did something like that they always expected something in return.  I really liked her but was really trying to honor my God. I can tell that story with no regrets. Would a different decision have hurt a child of God?  I have other chapters that are not as honorable and I have regrets.  I think this is a good thing to consider with the decisions we make, what will our story be when that decision is history? I wish all my stories were honorable. I do want the last chapters of my life to be stories I can tell without shame.  God has been merciful and extended his grace to me. In the decisions we make, what will the story be after the story is part of our history? Will we have any regrets? We make many decisions every day, what will the story be like? Some of our decisions affect others and can have a long term effect. What will the story be?  God bless, LVZ.