Over the past Summer, I was at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference and I had the privilege of taking a few workshops with Alison Treat, host of the Historic Fiction: Unpacked Podcast. I’ve been listening ever since. Each week she interviews another writer of historic fiction and it is a very enlightening and informative podcast. One of the features I love is a question Alison asks every author, “How do you think learning about history through story helps us approach life in the present?” As someone in the early stages of writing my first historic fiction novel, not to mention a person who teaches through stories, I’ve wondered how I might answer that question. Here’s my response. 

“First off, I love how that question is phrased because while I’ve fleshed out the story and added elements to the story, at the core of my novel is a true story, a story from God’s Word. Since the question simply asks about learning through story, rather than specifically through fiction, I can apply it, not just to my novel, but to my preaching and storytelling ministry. One of the crucial ways that learning history through story can help us approach life in the present, is to remember our lives are just that, a story. It’s a story written by a most amazing Author. Once we understand that our lives have an Author, and that there is a plan and purpose to that story, known to the Author, it can change the way we live. As a preacher, one of the things I always try to remind people of is the people we read about in Scripture, for the most part (except for the characters in parables), are real people, who were living out real lives in real time. We have the luxury of being able to turn a page or two and find out how their story ends. It becomes very easy for us to try to judge their motives and in some cases, their faith or lack thereof. They do not have that luxury. 

They are real people. And while we may see them as pillars of the faith, they were just ordinary people, who put their lives in the hands of an extraordinary God. What we can see in them and  in their stories, all through their steps and missteps, is the faithfulness of God and it’s the same way for us. We are living a story. We will make steps and missteps, good choices and bad, our character will change and hopefully grow. There will be things we will look back on and rejoice, and there will be things that will make us cringe, but what doesn’t change is the intent of the Author, nor does it change the Author Himself. Psalm 139:16 (ESV) tells us, ‘all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’ The incredibly good news is the Author of our lives is completely and utterly faithful, so as we are living out our stories in real time, with all kinds of twists and turns, and ups and downs, we can take tremendous comfort in the fact that the Author knows the story. He is completely. And perfectly  good and faithful, keeping every promise He has ever made. The story of our lives will build us and grow us in the good times and the bad times, and we will navigate that story so much better if we come to know, love and trust the Author. Following the Author will help us to live a better story.”

Now all I have to do is write the book, find a publisher, get on the podcast and give the answer. In case the Author has a different plot worked out for me, I decided to give you the answer now. What kind of story are you living? Know this. Every great story has conflict, struggles and things to be overcome. Without those things, the story is boring. Yes, I am fully aware there are times in our lives when we could handle a little more boring, but in Christ, our stories end in victory and in fact they don’t really end at all. The Author is good in all things. Trust Him and live an epic story.