I find a lot of richness in the storybook metaphor when describing turns in life's journey. Clear descriptive pictures come easily to mind when I need to define a new 'chapter' or turning of the 'page.' One picture that is helpful, but can cause some anxiety is the blank page, however. When someone who brought so much color to your story passes away, sometimes the thought of "what now?" can creep in. It's amazing how different a distinct new chapter feels, and how desperately you need a fresh set of lenses to view life on a fresh page. You really can't hold onto paradigms or ways of thinking that are clearly no longer relevant to the road ahead. It's helpful to delicately strike a balance between holding onto your roots and heritage, and letting go of superfluous baggage that weighs you down in search of fresh vision/creativity. God never intended for us to read through our story with the same set of lenses that shaped our world view (paradigm) in the past. He gives us, albeit uncomfortable at times, new spectacles that pick up new colors and texture, and bring along plots and subplots that make life adventurous and edgy. I have come to a place of dependence on God to make life interesting and engaging again, and realizing that previous chapters had me gripping the pen to tight, as I attempted to scribe a novel to my liking. How exciting and terrifying to know that only He can breathe new life into this next story line. Such anticipation builds to see who will get written into the script as we cross paths in ways only He can orchestrate.
