stories

A few months ago I read Donald Miller's newest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I like his writing because it has message and meaning but also room to breathe; he knows he's just a guy writing a book, not some enlightened guru, so it gives me permission to just be a girl reading a book rather than a desperately uninspired twentysomething.

This particular Don Miller book is mostly about stories. He doesn't just tell stories, he talks about what makes a good story and how he incorporated those principles into his life to make his life a better story. Sounds hokey, but it's pretty cool. A lot of the ideas end up being the same as other people that preach about being purpose-driven or goal-oriented or focused or whatever, but maybe that's the mark of a brilliant idea -- it comes up in all kinds of places and in all kinds of ways.

I like the idea of stories. But then, as I said, I spend a lot of time with books.

Don (I call him Don in my head, because he seems like just a bloke, even though when I met him in person some years ago I called him Mr. Miller because it seemed appropriate) defines the essence of a good story this way:

A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.

Not terribly profound on its own, but it's certainly a pattern evident in all my favorites. Darcy and Elizabeth overcome pride and prejudice. The Jamaican bobsled team overcomes being broke and having John Candy for a coach. God wants to be in communion with humanity but has to make them righteous because they're full of sin and He's perfect.

I can look at my life thus far and see the chapters - the stories and the main conflicts, the resolutions that usually involved either profound spiritual revelation or a graduation day. As I ease into a new chapter, I'm reflecting. What stories am I in? What are the things I'm trying to do or get or become? What conflict do I need to overcome?

It's good to check the big picture once in a while, like looking at the box when working on a puzzle. If you study it for a while, and reference it often, you're much more likely to make some progress with the actual work.

So while I'm in this pause before whatever's next in my life, I'm thinking about defining my stories a little bit better. I want to have a reason for doing the things that I do. I want to notice when I'm facing conflict so I can respond purposefully rather than crumbling from the drama. And when I get to the points of resolution, I want to appreciate what it took and how God got me through.

It's fun to look forward to the future again.