My Story Theme Confirmed

God confirmed my story’s theme while I sat in church yesterday. I’ve been working through My Book Buddy (a My Book Therapy product by Susan May Warren) and was able to make some great progress in my plot and my characterization.

One of the things I nailed down was the theme of my story. It is the truth that it is God who defines us, not what others think about us or say about us.

At church yesterday, we had a cross made of different colored scrolls. The congregation was asked to come forward and pick a scroll from the cross. Each scroll held one of four verses from the Bible. As I went forward to the cross, my eyes latched on a scroll and it was the one I took.

This is what it said:

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,<sup class="footnote" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="[a]”>[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.   1 John 3:1-3

God has called us children of God! That is what we are! Not what others say we are. Not what others think we are. We are children of God. His creation. He has made us who we are, and he takes great delight in us. The way He has created us brings Him pleasure and glory. And best of all, He loves us as we are…lavishly.

Don’t you love God’s confirmations? How has God confirmed something in your life? In your writing?

Sherrinda Ketchersid

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12 responses to “My Story Theme Confirmed”

  1. Jessica R. Patch Avatar
    Jessica R. Patch

    I've had themes confirmed and writing in general through church stuff. A funny one: I had been asking God if I was on the right track with a series I'd been writing. I was on first book of the last three in the series (that makes sense I promise) On a Monday, I pulled the attendance sheets to enter them in (I work at the church part time) and lo and behold I glance down and Seth Lance (MY CHARACTER) checked in! No info. First time guest. Talk about freak out. I know that sounds silly but I knew God was confirming. Never again did he check back in. I still have that attendance sheet! LOL

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  2. Melissa Tagg Avatar
    Melissa Tagg

    Oh, I love that you got the theme for your book in church. I've had that happen too!

    I love it when something just sticks writing-wise…whether it's a theme or plot point, etc. And I love it when I know, down deep, that God is confirming something…often it feels like right when I need that whisper of confirmation from God, when I'm at my most doubtful about something, that's when He speaks up…

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  3. Gabrielle Meyer Avatar
    Gabrielle Meyer

    I love that truth, Sherrinda! As a child and young adult I cared too much about what others thought of me and I had to renew my mind to the understanding that I am who God tells me I am – and I discover who I am in His Word and His Word alone. I am His child, created and fashioned after Him. I am valuable, I am chosen and I am anointed to do His will.

    So happy you had confirmation for your story through His Word yesterday!!

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  4. Cindy R. Wilson Avatar
    Cindy R. Wilson

    Oh, oh! Sherrinda, if this is for the sister story your working on, it sounds so perfect. Yay!

    And yes, God has confirmed something in my life and it was awesome! I've been waiting for a sign, a word, whatever, for awhile now and He gave me the confirmation I was looking for, for something really important. He's soooo faithful, right?

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  5. Sherrinda Avatar
    Sherrinda

    Ooooo, Jessica that is the coolest thing EVER! Seriously, that gives me goose bumps! And I think it's so cool that you kept that attendance sheet. 🙂

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  6. Sherrinda Avatar
    Sherrinda

    Yes, Melissa! I feel that way too. It is when I really need it most that I hear most clearly.

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  7. Sherrinda Avatar
    Sherrinda

    Gabrielle, why is it we sometimes have to grow up and experience life before we learn those kinds of lessons? It really wasn't until I was 40 that I got brave to be who I was and attempt to make my dreams become reality. 🙂

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  8. Sherrinda Avatar
    Sherrinda

    Yes, Cindy! It is the sister story and I am getting so excited about it! And yes, God is so faithful to answer His children. I love that you got your answer.

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  9. Ashley Clark Avatar
    Ashley Clark

    Great post, Sherrinda! God is doing something similar in my life (and in my characters' lives!). I've also been working on my theme and have come up with something similar, although mine's a little different because my heroine is perfectionistic and feels like she has to do everything right to gain approval. But at heart, it's really the same theme, because really isn't that the theme of salvation for us all? Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Sherrinda Avatar
    Sherrinda

    Ashley, I love how God's plan of salvation for us shows up in so many themes in our lives. As an oldest child, I struggled for a long time with perfectionism. I've really left up, but sometimes I way to hard on myself. I'm a people pleaser! Such a curse a time!!! 🙂

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  11. Keli Gwyn Avatar
    Keli Gwyn

    I love worship service revelations. I've had a number of them. Glad you had such a helpful one, Sherrinda.

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  12. Sherrinda Avatar
    Sherrinda

    Keli, I'm sure you've had many of those revelations, for your heart is one attuned toward God. You always inspire me!

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