Maybe real courage is simply bearing witness to the wild and mysterious story God has always been writing. Perhaps true success is finally believing our actual, everyday part in his story is good . . . and good enough. — Fiercehearted
We started our twenty-one days together talking about stories, about a friend of mine who shared hers on a black stool that swivels. And we are coming full circle because we, fiercehearted women, are all living a story today. A story crafted and told by the Author of heaven. The star-scatterer. The mountain-mover. The water-walker. It is a story of being brave and strong and true. A story of, most of all, love.
In the day-to-day, it doesn’t feel like a story. It feels like dishes in the sink. Reports on the desk. Another mile behind the steering wheel of the car. But this doesn’t change what’s real. Beneath the surface of all that ordinary still lurks the glory.
Sometimes the plot is confusing. Or strange. Or sad. Sometimes we want to cut a chapter out with sharp scissors. Sometimes we want to be the editors with the red ink. Sometimes we want to skip right to the end just to make sure it says, “And they lived happily ever after.”
But this is not our role. It is not for us to say, “This is what happens next” or “I’m changing the ending.” Instead, we are to trust, to wait, to be in the middle of the mystery. There is so much we do not know, that we will not know, but we can be certain of this: the Author is good and we are loved.
Yes, even when the unexpected sentence comes. When we face that dark-as-night period. When the syllables jumble together and we scratch our heads. Even in those places, between those lines, there is a God at work who has always been speaking, always been creating beauty out of the broken. “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25, NLT).
Jesus is still doing many other things. He is not done with history. He is not finished with the part of it that is our story either. Whatever scene we find ourselves in today, it is not the final page. Hold on, there is a turning coming. There is more than this, more than here and now. We have not yet seen the there and then.
We are overcomers. We are warriors. We are a force to be reckoned with in this world. And whatever the future brings, our God is still holding the pen. He is the only one who gets to write “The End.”
XOXO,
Holley
P.S. This post is an excerpt from my new ebook: Strong, Brave, Loved. We’re wrapping up the 21 Day Strong, Brave, Loved Challenge — but it’s not too late for you to join! If you missed it, just visit this post to learn more and then head to my Facebook or Instagram pages for each day’s challenge and encouragement. You can easily start at the beginning – Day One – because the Challenge will stay up on both Facebook and Instagram! If you’ve completed the Challenge and would like more encouragement, Fiercehearted would be a great next step for you!
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Right now, we’re doing a special link-up series to celebrate Fiercehearted: Live Fully, Love Bravely. You’re a fiercehearted woman so I’m asking you to pour out a little love and courage with your words every Wednesday {the link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post, especially if it’s about living fully and loving bravely, and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
When you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth!
{click to tweet that you’re joining me here today}
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I’m grateful for the reminder that there is more coming. The hard scenes and sentences we live through are not the final word. There’s more coming. And, best of all, Jesus is the Author. So we know it will have a happy ending—in heaven, if not on earth. Your words remind me to keep a heavenly perspective. Thank you for that, Holley!
Amen! So thankful that GOD has the final word.
Agreed, Lauren!
Oh My Dearest Holley!
This line so hit me “be in the middle of the mystery”. I wrote a post last week about called ‘Trust It’s Not The End’. The middle is the tough stuff, but when you learn to “be” in the middle of the mystery it becomes ok. Trust takes over and faith kicks in. Thanks for the encouragement again.
Much love,
~Sherry Stahl
Sherry Stahl, This is so true.. the middle is the tough stuff!! Do you mind if I share your comment on our church Women’s Facebook page? (Women’s Life at Life Church Louisville) I just love the part about what you said, learning to “be” in the middle!
Thank you for the reminder and encouragement!
I just love this whole post Holley Gerth! Thank you!! Could I share this link to my Women’s Facebook page?
Hi Michele, feel free to click share underneath the post on my Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/holleygerth If you can’t find it, then you can copy and paste the blog post link and tag me in your post.
Holley, I love the truth here, and am continuously in need of the reminder that I mustn’t give up in the middle or let the long road ahead and the hard road behind keep me from traveling forward.
Blessings to you!
So true – there are so many instances in the Bible where people didn’t “see” God’s hand at work in the moment, but we’re given the bigger picture of how He worked everything out. That’s true in our lives even though we might not see the bigger picture yet.
Women With Swords!
Thank you for this encouragement, Holley. This is so true: “There is so much we do not know, that we will not know, but we can be certain of this: the Author is good and we are loved.” Thank you also for opening space for us to share our testimonies and spur one another on in Christ.
Holley, this is just so good. Thank you for being so encouraging and for reminding us that our story isn’t finished yet. The One who gets to write “The End” is also the One walking with us every step of the way. I’m sharing this post everywhere and again, thank you so much!
Such encouragement! Love the point that we know “The author is good and we are loved.” We cannot see our story down the road, but we can trust him.
I am so grateful for this truth: “The Author is good and we are loved.” Our feelings will come and go, but God is faithful to love us forever. Thanks, Holley.
Thank you so much for offering hope and truth, Holley. Your messages are always just what my heart needs and they always come JUST when I need them.
I’m not sure how this all works but God definitely speaks to me through your words at just the right time. Thank you for being His vessel and allowing Him to speak through your writing.
It seems I cannot get enough reminders of not only that Jesus is control of my story but also knowing who I am. This year I am zeroing in on learning my identity as a child of God. It sounds like a huge task but the bottom line is that God has already determined who I am and now I need to get on the same page. He loves me enough to patiently walk me through this process. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
Amén. Also God is the only one to write “the beginning “. Blessing 🙂
How thankful I am to read this today, thank you Holley,
Holley,
Thank God He is in control of our journey. There are several parts of this long journey that I would love to go back & have a do-over. We must trust that He knows the whole picture and has our best interests in mind. This life may be hard, but for the believer we will live happily ever after in Heaven. Keeping a Heavenly perspective & thanking God for His guidance.
Blessings 🙂
I am so glad my story isn’t over yet. Waiting is so hard. I have had to learn how to wait well. I had to start with learning how to wait in a line and take in the present moment. I found it was so full of life. After learning that I was able to tackle the big waits, like waiting and praying for healing for those I love. Love your book. Maree
Holley, Thank you for reminding me what courage looks like – faithful witness – trusting Him with my story and my life. “Maybe real courage is simply bearing witness to the wild and mysterious story God has always been writing.” Beautiful thoughts.
Holley ….I would love to embroider your quote about our messy lives and that we are still becoming exactly as it is on your blog but asking permission to do so…..I would definitely have your name digitized as well. Thank you for considering this!
Hi Nancy! Is this an item just for you and your household, or something that will be sold? Thanks for giving more info.
“Beneath the surface of all that ordinary still lurks the glory.” Reading those words, I caught a glimpse of a vision: picking up the corner of a dusty, threadbare carpet and being blinded by ultra-bright beams of golden light radiating from underneath. Who would suspect that? But surely there IS glory–even under the mundane tasks of every day–as we sow seeds of kindness, selflessness, and encouragement to those around us. I wonder, might we catch a glimpse of that glory if we watch intently? And with its discovery, will we find renewed energy and purpose for the ordinary? Then again, perhaps we’re meant (for the most part) to stay energized and purposeful–even without glimpses of the glory. The day will come when all things will be revealed. Until then, we live by faith–so we don’t become glory-chasers (always needing affirmation) and neglect our Glory Maker. Thank you, Holley, for the food for thought!
Holley, your words today are especially beautiful. I always admire the way you put words together. Thanks for hosting!
“Today isn’t the end of the story” has been a phrase God drops in my mind on so many moments when life isn’t looking like I’d hoped. I think it takes a fierce faith to rest in the truth that God is the author of our stories and is the only one to write “the end.” Loved this post today.