"The Hero of your Life Story" - a guest post by Emily Dempster

Then she drained the peas and looked around to see if any of her seven siblings had responded to her call that dinner was ready.  They hadn’t.  “Too bad for them if it gets cold,” she thought sulkily.

Does anyone else do that – start telling yourself your story in third person as the drama unfolds in real life?  I catch myself doing it all the time.  I’m not sure why I do it… maybe because I do have a bit of a melodramatic side (that doesn’t come out very often!) or maybe it’ s because I have spent my whole life reading and am now stuck in the ways of thinking like a book.  (Ok… I’m kind of kidding there…) 

Is thinking of yourself in third person a healthy thing to do?  I’m not convinced.  I notice myself doing it the most when I feel hard done by, or upset about something.  The problem is that in novels, drama happens, there is conflict and then that conflict is resolved and the story ends.  Our lives aren’t like that: our days aren’t ‘episodes’ that have nothing to do with each other from one day to the next.  What we do, what we say, and what we think all affects us and the people around us, and often once a wrong word is said, or a thoughtless act carried out, there can be no way to undo the damage. 

Don’t get me wrong – your life is a wonderful story, unfolding as you live out your life.  But it isn’t really your story, is it?

I love the movie Nim’s Island starring Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster.  In the movie, Foster is an author by the name of Alexandra Rover who is terrified of everything and everyone outside of her apartment.  When she dares to travel halfway around the world to rescue a little girl all alone on an island, she is accompanied by her imaginary friend, the hero of her best-selling adventure series, Alex Rover.  Throughout the movie, Alexandra depends on Alex to get her through her moments of terror until finally, Alex leaves, telling her to “be the hero of your own life story” (to which Alexandra replies, “Do throw me that line – I wrote that line!”).  In the end, Alexandra discovers that she actually doesn’t need Alex to be brave; she discovers that she really can be the hero of her own life story and can face it without the help of her literary character. 

Most people today have the same mentality – be the hero!  But, how many people actually realize that we make way too many mistakes to be heroes of any great standing or efficiency?  I know that if I were left to be the hero of my life, I would already be failing miserably.  There are just too many things that are so out of my control.  No, I would make a dismal hero.  Which leads to me to assume that everyone else would probably be in the same boat.  And if we can’t be the hero of our own lives, how on earth and can we dive in and correct everything in someone else’s life?  We can’t.  To be quite frank, we are utterly, utterly helpless in this great wide universe we call home.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8) 

Trust in your Hero – He has been from the highest heights of paradise, to the deepest depths of death and back again. He breathed the world into existence, and enveloped the whole of it in His arms when He stretched them out on the cross.  He alone has the power of atonement, and with His red, red precious blood, we might be washed whiter than snow. He has championed over the sin that resides within each of us and waits eagerly for us to respond to His victory with rejoicing and gratitude.  He longs to be the Hero of your life story – to make it His story – to write you into the history of His kingdom and His family.

You may not be the star of your story anymore… but is it much of a compromise? To have His righteousness and purity radiating out of your being and spilling His love and joy wherever you go – allow Jesus to be your Champion… the Victor over your sin… the Hero of your life story.

I am a stay-at-home daughter, home-school graduate, piano teacher, big sister to six sisters and a brother, and a follower of the Lord Jesus.  I spend my days studying for my diploma, babysitting my little sisters, playing music with my siblings, scribbling poetry, writing on my blog Amity, and doing life with my family.  In the near-ish future, I hope to do paediatric nursing and, Lord willing, get married and have (and adopt) a whole heap of cute kiddies to keep me on my toes.  :)