by Allen Arnold, @TheStoryofWith

Imagine a writing conference or consultant offering this guarantee:

Call anytime and we will answer. We will show you wondrous things you could never figure out on your own and reveal remarkable secrets of what’s yet to come. We make the previously impossible…possible.

No industry expert or class can deliver that. But God makes this claim – and he is more than able to make it happen. Listen to his offer:

“Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3, NKJV). Another version puts it like this: “I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own” (The Message).

Perhaps you’re familiar with the first part of this verse. When you call out to God, he will answer. But it gets even better. Did you catch the second half? He will then show you “unsearchable things” and “remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” (NIV; NLT).

No matter how creative someone may be, there is zero possibility they will ever attain these experiences on their own. This is a promise only available through – and with – God. When the Creator of stars, stallions, and sunsets offers to reveal marvelous, great, unsearchable, and remarkable things, it should set our hearts racing.

But there is an implied condition. We can only experience these things with God. He makes it clear we won’t see or hear them in our own strength or apart from his presence.

Think of it this way. Imagine if God invited you on a road trip. It begins in an hour. It’s a custom adventure for the two of you. He knows a secret route that no one else travels. If you go, he will be your personal tour guide for all the wild and wondrous things along the way. New colors. New ideas. New worlds. You’ll need a new vocabulary to describe what you see.

But let’s say you decline the offer. After all, you’re on a writing deadline. Or you refuse to go anywhere without knowing all the details in advance. Perhaps you believe you can get there on your own.

God always gives you the choice. No matter the situation, you can either call out to God and he will show you infinite possibilities – or you can pursue the finite options you see with your limited vision and strength.

It’s freeing to realize everything isn’t all up to you. As I say in my book The Story of With: “God doesn’t need your help as much as he wants your heart. Whenever you start to focus more on your talents and gifts than on him, you miss the main invitation. Which is to pursue them together. With him.”

This version of “with” can feel disruptive, inconvenient, and like a loss of control. You begin to allow God the freedom to set the rhythm of your day. You look to God – not a word count – to know when your work is done. You seek God – not the world – for validation. You pursue God – not past formulas – for new ideas. Productivity is good. God’s presence, however, is the foundation. Everything else – including all external metrics of success – comes secondary to that.

When Moses was tasked with leading the people out of the desert, he made this bold statement to God (and I’m paraphrasing here): “If you aren’t going with me, let’s call this whole trip off” (Exodus 33:15). When was the last time you said those words to God about a project you were working on?

When your story – the one you’re writing or living – feels stuck, that’s the perfect time to call out to God. He will answer. Let him know you refuse to move forward without his active, intimate presence. Invite him to show you marvelous things and remarkable options you’d never know on your own.

Doing so will infuse your heart – and your art – with an eternal spark that no conference or consultant can ever duplicate. God loves making the previously impossible…possible. All you have to do is ask.

The Story of With: A Better Way to Live, Love, & Create

“Unique and powerful, The Story of With will take readers deep into the discovery of their own identity. “Bravo! This fascinating blend of storytelling and teaching will shift the thinking of all who take this journey.” New York Times Bestselling Author, TED DEKKER

“Through allegory and invitation, Allen Arnold ushers us into a journey of imagination, insight, wonder, and wisdom…Read The Story of With!” New York Times Bestselling Co-Author of Captivating, STASI ELDREDGE

“This is your invitation into deeper identity, intimacy, and imagination with God. Like finding the place you’ve always longed to be. The moment you finish this book, you’ll race to grab one for a friend. Highest Recommendation!” Bestselling Author of The Long Journey to Jake Palmer, JAMES L. RUBART

“Allen has written a roadmap for dreaming with God. The Story of With is a beautiful, revelatory parable, filled with wonder, mystery, and adventure.” Author of Prone to Love & Untamed, JASON CLARK

– From the Foreword –

“You are not alone. Whether you’re a free spirit, an office exec, a writer, musician, college student, or tired parent—your soul, like mine, knows life is meant to go beyond rat races and rare applause. This book speaks to that belief. And if you’re not careful, you may find tears warming your eyes as you read because finally someone is naming your weariness, your striving, your questions of why you just can’t quite make it, or the emptiness that hit because maybe you did. It is into those places The Story of With reaches—fusing allegory with application—to offer fresh perspective, restored hope, and a rebirth of creativity.”

—From the Foreword by Mary Weber, Christy & Carol Award-Winning, Scholastic Pick Author of the Storm Siren Trilogy.

Allen Arnold is the author of The Story of With, an allegory that reveals a better way to live and create through the doorway of identity, imagination, and intimacy. His mission is to help people actively pursue and transform their talent by discovering how to pursue it with God. As the founding Fiction Publisher for one of the world’s largest Christian publishing houses, Allen oversaw the development of more than five hundred novels. He knows first-hand how common it is for creators to become disheartened, overwhelmed or burnt-out–as well as what it takes to help the dreams of writers become reality. In his current role at Ransomed Heart, he oversees content from the mountains of Colorado for the ministry. Before becoming a Board Member for ACFW, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 for his substantial contributions to the world of Christian Fiction.