Write Your Life Story God’s Way

kilmer, resolutions, Talents

As a writer and an aspiring novelist, studying the essential parts of a novel that make it a good novel has always sparked my interest. And since I am also a practicing Catholic, what I found is that a character’s journey is much like our own faith journey. Here is what I have learned. 

Realize Goal  

In every story, a character always starts with wanting or needing something. This is what drives the story forward. No matter what obstacles the character faces, this goal is what keeps them going on to the next scene and for the reader to keep turning the pages. 

From the beginning when God made us in our mother’s womb, we were made for God. As God’s loving creation, Heaven should be our ultimate goal. This should be our heart’s burning desire as soon as we rise out of bed, go throughout our day, and then rest our eyes for the night. We should want to go to heaven as much as we need to go to heaven for the sake of our soul’s eternal happiness. After all, God is the reader of our own soul’s story. So let us make this a good book: one for God to cherish. 

Saint Augustine summed it up nicely in one sentence. That is, “Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in You.”  

Work On a Flaw 

As we read stories there is usually a major flaw found in a character that he must overcome. It is usually one of the seven deadly sins. 

We are sinful creatures, but more often than not there is usually a sin we habitually commit that either have us running to the confessional or avoiding it. As always, God’s mercy is the answer. Not only does He forgive our sins, but gives us the grace to strengthen us spiritually so that we will not sin anymore and avoid sin when the temptation comes our way. 

Evaluate Scene By Scene

In a story when you write a scene, it serves a purpose. For the overall story to flow and make sense, there should be a series of scenes that have a reason for being there. You have to cut out the parts that do not bring meaning to the story in any way.

Make that true with your own life story. Always be conscious of your actions and why you are doing them. If it is not glorifying God in some way, throw it out. It is a waste of time. We should focus on the good as Sacred Scripture tells us. 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Philippians 4:8). 

Saint John Vianney also reminds us of what is true in this quote, “Our first aim is to go to God, we are not on earth for anything but this!” 

Know Your Characters

In a novel, each character has a role to play. Whether it is the love interest or the mentor, each character guides the main character and shapes the world around them. 

Make sure to be aware of the kind of people in your life. After all, Jesus warns us about keeping bad company in Sacred Scripture. 

But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person (1 Corinthians 5:11). 

Learn Your Lessons

Whether it is stated or not, every story has a moral to be learned by the end of it. By the end, the character has been through a journey of ups and downs. Conflict after conflict has been thrown his way and he has grown by dealing with those conflicts. He usually matures and becomes a new person at the end.

The same is with our life. We all have crosses to bear and life is full of lessons to be learned by bearing these crosses and going throughout our daily lives. We live, we learn, and we grow. We just need to make sure we keep our eyes open to the sins we have committed and not commit them again and do better next time. 

Your Life Story

I think too we can learn a lot from the lives of the saints. One of my absolute favorite quotes from a saint comes from a nun who has a beautiful soul. That is Mother Teresa. She said,

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.

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7 thoughts on “Write Your Life Story God’s Way”

  1. Thank you, Diana, for your wonderful article concerning writing one’s life story in the manner that God intends, always keeping His holy will at the forefront of one’s mind and heart, with Heaven as the goal. I really enjoyed the parallel you made between a character’s journey in a novel and one’s faith pilgrimage on earth. Realizing the goal, working on flaws, evaluating actions, knowing one’s role and purpose (and keeping good and holy company), learning life lessons, and modeling one’s journey on the example of Christ and the saints, is the path of love and journey towards salvation. Lovely and enriching writing as always, Diana! In the words of Ven. Fulton Sheen, “Heaven is a city on a hill, hence we cannot cast into it; we have to climb.”

    1. Thank you so much for your comment. It means a lot. That is a wonderful Fulton Sheen quote to ponder. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Thank you, Ellen, for your encouraging and kind words. My articles are usually posted at the end of every month!

  2. “We live, we learn, and we grow. We just need to make sure we keep our eyes open to the sins we have committed and not commit them again and do better next time. ”

    This “just” might be a bit too pink and fuzzy. Our sins are not only about us. There’s also the matter of making amends to people we have hurt and re-setting the relationship on a better path. Re-setting doesn’t mean re-establishing. It may well include making amends but then going your separate way.

  3. Diana, that was a wonderful, timely article;

    Sending a hearty thank you!

    warmest regards,

    Karen in Cambridge

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