“I don’t think any of us should trust fate to write the story of our lives. Fate is a terrible writer.”
~ Donald Miller
One of my best friends from college, Scot, used to talk about how he wished he had a soundtrack for his life that would play as he meandered through. Before digital music, that was a bit of an impossibility, but now, you could almost cobble together some version of that if you liked.
I am fascinated by music as narration. A great soundtrack so elevates a story that it almost becomes a character all its’ own. Setting up environments, enhancing the story, and establishing a mood that dialogue and setting alone can’t seem to provide. A recent obsession of mine is the FX series The Bear. While it has more FPM (f-words per minute) than what I am typically comfortable with, it also provides some of the most beautiful stories of restoration and healing I have ever seen, especially in season two.
In the seventh episode, it utilizes Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in unexpected and beautiful ways. It is the backdrop for deep heartache, it provides narration and moves along a portion of the story. But where it most powerfully shows up is when it is used as a transcendent and emotional breakthrough anthem. The soundtrack of that song exposes and elevates the deeper story of what is going on with a particular character.
People who possess my worldview often filter life through a challenging idea; they try to determine which good and bad things have direct attribution to God. Now, we believe that the Divine is sovereign over all things, but it is a very slippery slope to start assigning direct intentions to the good and bad of our lives. Was that person struck with cancer on purpose? Are they being taught a lesson? Did they deserve it? And what about those great parking spots that everyone seems to be “thanking God” for? Is the Creator tending to the universe with my desire for great parking in mind?
I am good with the idea that God is sovereign over everything. And I am committed to finding growth and learning through my Creator in both the good and the bad experiences of my life. But when I find myself believing that all the bad in my life is sourced from above, it gets me to a very dark place and can even keep me from taking personal responsibility for things I should. And when I give all good things direct attribution, it often removes the agency and momentum needed in my life to do more of the good.
This perspective is woven into our Life Plan retreats as well. We help people write a better story with their lives. Regardless of where your story started or has taken you, you can craft a different, better next chapter. We’ve seen that play out in our lives and have been privileged to watch the same for over 700 others now. For people of faith, they see it as more of a coauthoring, as we do. For others, they wield the power of the pen with what they believe is a solo and independent enterprise.
Regardless of their worldview, however, they come to realize a grander understanding of their lives and repurpose it in a way that produces greater meaning for how they live.
And who isn’t interested in finding that?
Consider
If you were creating a soundtrack, what song would best represent where you are in the story? Which would represent your desired destination best?
Do you believe that the decisions you make, and the aspirations you agree with, help determine the direction of your life?
Are you ready to write a better story than the one you’ve been living? Maybe partner with the Divine to create a better one?