Have you ever been on a mission to find an object or answer? You know that feeling where absolutely nothing and no one is going to prevent you from fulfilling a mission? And I’m not talking about essentially important missions such as finding a life calling or Habits that lead to a flourishing life…no, my friend, I have a mission of greater significance—finding the perfect pen! Does anyone else feel my pain? The closest I’ve found so far is a Union athletics promotional pen that athletic director Tommy Sadler ordered years ago and my hidden stash of these devices that smoothly spill blue ink over paper is slowly disappearing. So, please do not be alarmed if you try to “borrow” my red and black pen and I quickly offer you a substitute so that my pen never leaves my fingers.

To be honest, this is probably a rather inexpensive pen ordered in bulk, really nothing special except that I prefer the way it writes even over expensive pens. Testing out various brands of gel pens and ballpoints, I’m educating myself on tip sizes (who knew?), throwing numerous poorly performing writing utensils in the trashcan, and continuing on this strange, and probably outdated, mission. (Isn’t everyone using voice-activated apps and computer keyboards today? Who cares about a pen?). However, there are moments when a person is taking notes and they just need a proficient writing utensil. Please don’t be concerned that I might resort to Stealing the Pen from your desk, I’m far too picky to accept any old pen, especially if it’s not a .7 mm (again, who knew?); and yes, there is a lesson to be learned from this inane discussion of pens.

Several years ago, I heard a quote on a Christian broadcast that said, “God is still writing your story, stop Stealing the Pen!” Perhaps this message was solely meant for me, yet as I navigate through this journey to discover the healthiest Habits for a Flourishing Life, it appears feasible that I’m not the only one who is tempted to surrender things over to the Lord, only to take them back again. In Aging with Grace, Susan Hunt shares a quote that I chose to copy, highlight, AND underline to give you an idea of its significance to me. “When we put down the pen, stop trying to write our story or the stories of others, and wholeheartedly trust the author of our story to write his gospel story in our lives, we begin to see the mundane and the miserable moments as essential sentences that eventually become a majestic story of grace, because the plot of dirt where we die is also the place where we flourish.”

Hunt shares this passage as a part of a chapter reminding readers of the importance of embracing the long view of life as shared in Psalm 71 and Romans 8:28. Hunt offers, “We flourish in old age when we look back and praise the Lord that all things worked together according to his purpose to make us more like Jesus, and nothing ever separated us from his love (Rom. 8:28-39). This long view of the redemptive story God is writing in our lives equips us to help the younger generation see the beauty and significance of each part of their story.” In just a few concise sentences, Hunt captures the essence of all of my research—embracing the long view of life, seeking purpose in struggles and triumphs, loving others as Jesus does, and mentoring Emerging Generations, yet the biggest obstacle we may face to achieving any of these elements of a flourishing life is when we greedily Steal the Pen from the hands of our Lord who desires to write a fulfilling and abundant story.

Journeying on a mission to locate the perfect pen will not have a successful outcome if I am still trying to Steal the Pen from the author and finisher of my story! Beside the following excerpt from Aging with Grace, I jotted down these words, “Only when you know how to die can you truly live,” a lesson that I must surrender to each and every day.

“We shortchange the beautiful concept of flourishing unless we acknowledge that full flourishing comes at physical death. J.I. Packer wrote, ‘Dying well is one of the good works to which Christians are called, and Christ will enable us who serve him to die well, however gruesome the physical process itself. And dying thus, in Christ, through Christ, and with Christ, will be a spiritual blossoming.’”

Please feel free to share in the comments below any meaningful advice you may have for those of us who need reminders when we try to Steal the Pen!

Reference:

Betters, S.W. & Hunt, S. (2021). Aging with grace: Flourishing in an anti-aging culture. Crossway.