What's next in the story?

The last two books I've read to my niece were set in Africa and included plenty of danger from both wild animals and people.  When a chapter always ended at a point where the suspense was at its height Elizabeth would look at me with her big round eyes and declare, "Keep reading!"  A good story always has some suspense or tension.  We keep reading because we wonder what's going to happen next.  How will this get resolved?

Over the past few months I've read snippets from Donald Miller as he talks about viewing life as a story complete with characters, ambition and some conflict.  I was reminded of that this week as I spent a day shadowing two OTs at a nearby hospital.  I got a glimpse of some of the stories that were currently set in the rehab unit or acute care.  The goal for the therapist(s) in acute care was sometimes just to get the person sitting up at the edge of the bed and to get some movement in the upper body.  The patients in rehab are able to handle three hours of therapy a day so there is more intensity there.  Some of them are learning to dress themselves with their new (and hopefully temporary) physical limitations.  Others are working to get their strength back after a serious accident.  Whatever their situation, each one is at a point of crisis (suspense, tension, conflict).  Like a good book, it made me want to go back the next day to learn more about the characters and find out what would happen to them.  When will the man whose left side wasn't responding after a stroke be strong enough to get moved to the rehab unit?  Will he make enough progress to be able to use his left side?  When will the young accident victim get his strength back so he no longer has to use a walker or sit in a wheelchair and his handshake is once again firm?  Will the swelling go down enough for the man who had the diving accident so he can gain full use of his upper body? 

I've found myself feeling rather apprehensive this week as I prepared to move to Minneapolis on Monday.  The unknowns seem overwhelming at times.  But when I look at it as a story, I can enter the new situations with anticipation: What is going to happen next?  How will each need I have get met?  What people will come across my path?  And best of all, it is good to know the Author of the story, the Sovereign Lord who lovingly always does what is best.  It may not be easy, but that just makes for a better story.