Writing Your Character

Defining who you are, becoming independent is an important part of life. Kenna, our three year old is doing that alot, just like her sister Leslie did a couple years ago. She gets frustrated when you try to help her with things, and has taken to walking around with a comb or brush and brushing her hair...all day.

Leslie developed her character as the more compliant child, eager to please, and right now, Kenna is becoming the strong willed character. It takes patience as a parent to watch with some excitement and some fear as the kids grow. Will they be nice people, good people, will they be a joy to be around or will they be human?

Character doesn't stop developing when you hit grade school, though. The college students and young adults we know are still developing their character, just like we are and just like our parents are. Each new set of friends, or each life event forces us to redefine our character. Deaths make us stronger. Betrayals can make us more cynical. New opportunities make us hopeful. We learn to laugh so we don't cry, we learn to be patient when the world is speeding by, we learn to fight for the things that matter.

I once took a spiritual gifts test. OK< I've taken lots. Yeah, they are probably bogus, just like regular personality tests where you make it say what you want. This particular test said that my lowest gift was mercy. Kristin wholeheartedly agreed with it at the time because while she was trusting, I trusted no one. She would feel sorry for someone who failed, I wanted them sent away. But as my character has developed, I've grown merciful. Some things have happened in my life to make me see my fellow man as a flawed human, in need of redemption and rescue from themselves. Everyone sins, screws up, and fails- repeatedly. When God sees us, He sees not our shortcomings, but who He made us to be, and who He is making us to be.

Thats how we develop our character, slowly and over time. We do this so as to not be one note characters, easily pidgeonholed as one type or another. Our characters should be contradictions: Sinner and Saint, trustworthy liars, angry peaceniks, rescued captives. One day the contradictions will be gone, but until then we are journeying toward our Epilogue, hopefully our "Well done, Good and Faithful Servant."

And just maybe, we will excite our Father in who we are becoming just as our daughters excite us in who they are becoming.