Living The Story (30 Day Challenge #1)

"Live your life fom your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.” ~ Melody Beattie

Yesterday I joined a writing challenge where I'll write on a different prompt each of the next 30 days. I don't plan on posting all of the topics on my blog (we do have Family Farm Fridays and Meet the Cast Mondays to get to!) but I figure I'll share the ones that I really enjoy.

So here we go.....Day 1. The assignment: You discovered you have 15 minutes left to live. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Write the story that has to be written.

I thought about this for a long time. And you know what I decided? I will never be able to write the story that I want to write in 15 minutes. Or in 15 days. Or in 15 years for that matter.

The story I want to write will take so much more than words on paper. Fancy transitions and topic sentences won't do what I want them to. Instead, I want to LIVE my story. I want to look back at the end of my life and have written a story with my actions and not just with my words.

I look back on the people who I have lost that have had the biggest impacts on my life. Nothing that they could have written in 15 minutes would come close to the things that they did to inspire me and to make me the person who I am.

Gran couldn't have written any words to teach me to be strong and independent in 15 minutes. Mr. Franklin couldn't have taught me to go after my dreams and to believe in myself in a few paragraphs. Levi couldn't have shown me how to truly be kind to everyone I meet on paper. Dathan's laugh couldn't be captured with a pen. A 15 minute story from Miss Pink Boots could not have connected me to my best friends. First Valentine's willingness to help anyone at the drop of a hat would never show up in a few words.

Nope. Writing my story will not do. Because I want to have a story full of laughter and friendship. Full of kindness and adventure. Full of love and excitment.

I want to make a difference and live my dreams and love on people. I want to do my part. I want to watch sunsets and dance under the stars. I want to cry with a friend who is hurting. I want to do something crazy just because I can. I want to see the world and enjoy time at home. I want to walk down the aisle. I want to scream my head off at every football game I can get to. I want to take pictures and hold babies and dance at wedding receptions. I want to fulfill the purpose that God has planned for me.....the one that is bigger than I can even imagine.

And if I can do these things.....if I can live my life in this way....well, I won't need to spend my list 15 minutes writing. Instead, I'll continue to spend them living the story.