We have been talking about refinancing our house for a while now. So when my dear hubby came home the other night and shared his plans for carrying forward, it was no surprise. But some of his words were a little shocking. Well, maybe not shocking, but what he said definitely got my attention!

Refinancing this darn house has caused me to come face to face with the reality that time marches on and, like it or not, so do I.   I have been shaken out of my comfy cozy dream world where I’ll always be young!! Well, at least in my mind (heavy sigh). It’s true: in 15 years I’ll be 70. Holy crap! How did that happen? It seems I’ve been lost in the middle of my story.

All stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. And, although the beginning is where the reader gets hooked, it’s in the middle of the story where the excitement happens, the characters are developed, and the action keeps us on the edge of our seats. Yes, a great book has a rich and fulfilling middle, filled with adventure and intrigue. But a great book also spends its middle building up to the climax, and then heads into a wonderful ending.

Oh boy, has my middle been filled with adventure and intrigue! I have spent the middle of my story deep in the trenches of developing characters and keeping up with the action. And I guess, without realizing it until now, I’ve also been building up to a great ending. Now I know that sounds kind of morbid, but hear me out! I’m not bemoaning the fact that I’m transitioning from one part of my story to the next. And I don’t plan on leaving any time soon! (God willing). Rather, I am taking notice.

I’m taking notice of where I am in my story so that I can be intentional about how I write the ending. I’ve tried to be intentional about how I’ve lived the middle of my story, by doing the very best I could with the life I have been given. Awhile back I adopted a motto based on John 17:3, “I have glorified the Father by doing the work He set before me.” The motto is the same. The work is different. As intentional as I have tried to be during the middle of my story, I want to be even more so now.

Because I am choosing to be aware that I am transitioning into the next phase of my story, I have the opportunity to live this part with as much intention as I have tried to live my middle. I know being intentional requires focused thought around my purpose. To refine my purpose and direct my thoughts, I need to ask myself some thought provoking questions. Questions I think we could all benefit from, regardless of whether you are in the beginning, middle or end of your story.

• What does God want from me at this time in my life?
• What can I learn?
• Who can I love?
• What kind of legacy am I leaving?
• If I stay on my current path, what will the end of my story look like?
• Am I happy with how that looks?
• If yes, what would I like more of?
• If no, what kind of course corrections can I make to ensure the outcome I’m looking for?

Our stories may never be published or broadcast on the silver screen. But that does not diminish the impact we have the potential to make. The story I am writing is my gift to God. It is my offering to Him. He is the One who gave me the blank pages of this book to fill in, as best I can. Using the gifts and talents he has given me, it’s up to me to finish this story well.