There’s something that I’ve noticed as an author. My characters become so real to me. In the Strong Delusion Trilogy, because it was a three book set, we traveled many days together, even years.. They became such a part of my life that when I finished that series, I felt such an emptiness, as though I had lost some very dear friends.
That might sound strange to you and yet maybe if there are authors reading this, you know what I’m talking about. Authors are interesting people. We create people. We decide their looks, their attributes, and their character. We decide their movements within the scenes of their story—our books. And sometimes we kill them. Again, in the Strong Delusion Trilogy, it came to the point where one of my characters had to die. The entire basis of the book would’ve been flawed had she not died. In Spirit Rock, the same thing happened, not for any doctrinal reason, but because I took them to Gnaddenhuten, Ohio, the site of a horrific massacre of over ninety born-again believing Native Americans.
Who is the author of our lives? Do we recognize God as the Author? As born-again believers, we certainly recognize that He brought our lives into existence. We understand that by His hand, we are twice born: first physically and then spiritually. Romans talks about the potter and the clay.
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?
Romans 9:20-21
Will the thing formed say to him who formed [it],
“Why have you made me like this?”
Does not the potter have power over the clay,
from the same lump to make one vessel
for honor and another for dishonor?
Can you imagine the pot shaking his clay fist at the potter complaining about how he had made him? Do we do that? Do I wish my legs were longer? Do I wish I had a faster metabolism.? 🙂
Being an author has helped me to get a better glimpse of who God is, but first, there is a huge difference between God and His creation: man. God is absolutely perfect in every single way. He never makes a mistake. He never does anything that is contrary to His character. He does everything for the good of His characters. I would like to think that is true of me as well. I do know that when my characters must go through difficult times I weep at my computer.
So, how do we live this life? Do we sit like pawns on a chessboard waiting for Him to move us? That is a pretty cynical attitude toward life, and I don’t think God would have us view our days in that way.
Psalm 90:12 is a prayer, which I believe gives us an insight on the right way of thinking about our lives and God’s control:
So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
It can seem unfair if we look at God with an unbiblical worldview, but if we hold to a biblical worldview, we will be so thankful that we have the Author who guides our steps. He know where He wants to end the story and I can trust him. When the way is dark, and I don’t understand, I can go to the Author and ask His direction, and He will lovingly guide me in the way I need to go, even when the way makes no sense to me and may be hard—but isn’t that when I need help the most?
Isaiah says Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This [is] the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Hallelujah! what great joy is ours! We have more than a best-selling author to write our story. We have the Creator of the Universe!
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
Hebrews 12:2
who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Beyond Common Sense 