Chris Fabry: Stories are a way I explain my life. Writing is an exercise in complete surrender to the imagination and world-building given by our Creator. When we create, we imitate his creative act in a small way. But with that creation comes angst and struggle because there are so many choices to make, so many ways a story can go.

That’s one reason I love working with the Kendrick brothers—they make all the plot choices in their script and film. When I get to the process of novelizing the story, I often say they build the fence line and I get to play in the pasture. I tell the story they’ve crafted for the screen, but I get to ask more questions about the motivation of the characters, and hopefully that leads the reader deeper into their hearts and souls.

As I worked on Lifemark, I was taken by the courage of the pregnant teenager, Melissa. From her example, I gleaned a lesson about exhibiting courage when you have no guarantee of the outcome.

Courage means doing the best you can with whatever decision is in front of you. Melissa’s decisions, every step of the way, came from making the best decision in front of her. She gave life to her son. But as the baby’s birth drew near, it became clear to Melissa that she couldn’t give the child the love and care he would need. So she made the best decision for her son, which was to place him for adoption. Her actions in that situation show the cost of courage. Releasing her son into another’s arms was a herculean task. But she did it because it was the best thing for him.

There were other areas of Melissa’s life where she exhibited courage, but perhaps the most moving to me was in the waiting. Courage waits. It sits with the pain and the struggle and the questions and the desire for resolution. It takes courage to allow others to make their own decisions. Courage does not demand that God do things on our schedule. Courage allows us to trust that God will, in his own way and time, work things together for good. 

What is the story of your life that’s being written today? Is there a decision you need courage to make? Are you in a season of waiting? Put your full hope and trust not in the outcome, but in God himself, and see what he will do in you and through you.

About the Author

Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live on Moody Radio. He has written more than 80 books for children and adults.

Learn more about Chris Fabry by visiting his official website, chrisfabry.com.

The “Lifemark” novel releases on August 2nd, 2022. 

A Special Thanks to Chris Fabry and Tyndale House Publishers for the original article and images.