There’s something pure to me about a hymn. I grew up in church and had most of the well-known hymns memorized as a child. I can still hear the voices singing in that old Baptist church tone. I can still hear my late-mother’s voice ring with the tones of I’ll Fly Away and Amazing Grace.

Recently, the line from the hymn Blessed Assurance has been on my heart  – “This is my story, this is my song.” I’ve been writing and writing for a long time. In journals and diaries and notebooks and index cards. Trying to make sense of my thoughts, holding onto memories, making lists of things I need to do, just writing.

Enjoy Elevation Worship – Blessed Assurance (Live Performance Video)

In college things started to come together for me and I recognized that God had a story in mind for me. The story of my life and only He knew the ending – even though I begged for a little sneak peak at how things would go. The story was mine, but I wasn’t always the one writing it…or at least I shouldn’t be. Proverbs 3:5, my life’s verse – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not into your own understanding,” was true in high school, in college, and in adulthood. During trials and triumphs, if I leaned into His path and not into mine I was sure to be a part of the greatest story of all.

Turns out there are some amazing chapters in my story, several that I’d like to relive over and over like the greatest novel ever written. And there are some chapters filled with pain and uncertainty that I wish had been written differently to spare my scarred heart, but after some time of healing (and a little bit of an anger management discussion with Jesus) I recognized the divine presence in each and every chapter of my story. You know, the whole hindsight is 20-20 thing.

Now, what I am learning to pray is let this be His story.  This is {His} story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.