Unscripted Part 1

I love reading and recently finished Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary by Ernie Johnson, Jr. I can’t say enough about this book, which is an autobiography about Ernie Johnson, Jr. who is a sportscaster on TNT. The premise of the book is what he calls Blackberry Moments. He describes them as moments in life that are unpredictable, unscripted, unscheduled, unplanned. (Johnson 189)

I am a total Type A person and to compound things, I am an event planner. It’s a fun gig, but with that, comes a lot of responsibility. You want to avoid unplanned situations as much as possible due to the potential of altering or possibly ruining your event. I’ve been planning events for over a decade and with that experience, comes the perception of being good at controlling things. Note: that does not always lend itself well in my personal life.

There were many parts of the book that spoke to me. Specifically pages 140-141, which highlight a conversation Ernie had with his pastor after he was diagnosed with cancer. Today I want to talk about this quote, “You’re asking the wrong question. It’s not why this happened but how God is going to use it for His glory.” (Johnson 140)

BOOM. No sugar coating with that statement. I’ve talked about not knowing why, but just because I wrote that post doesn’t mean I don’t still struggle with that question every. single. day. I will probably always want to know why, but I have noticed God moving it gradually to how. I know He timed it so my heart was better able to receive this statement. Back in 2015, this phrase would’ve been lost on me due to all the anger and bitterness in my heart.

I can see how changing that question has flipped my perspective on our wait. It is no longer about me, but God. Easier said than done, but at least, I now have the awareness that yes, He has a bigger plan for me. It’s about Him working the impossible in my life, which ultimately will work the impossible in someone else’s. It’s about Him working through me to bring others to Christ. To spread the power of hope and encouragement to others to allow Him to work through them during their wait.

As I finished the book, I found myself wanting to allow more Blackberry Moments to happen in my life. Why? Because those are the moments when God works best. It’s when we have finally given over control and trust God to work in our lives. While He always has the best in mind for us, we can have a different interpretation of what that means. For me, best usually means positive or basically getting what I want. For God, best is whatever brings Him glory and deepens our relationship with Him.

Which question have you been asking? How has God changed the questions you ask?

P.S. Stay tuned for part 2 next week!

Reference: Johnson, Ernie Jr. Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary. Baker Book House, 2018. Print.

Mark your calendars! National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) is April 22-28. The theme this year is #flipthescript.

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Please share with someone you know who could use some encouragement in the wait.

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