Creating Your Timeline

Looking Back

We are often so overwhelmed with simply living our lives that we rarely have an opportunity to step back and ask, “What does it all mean?” This exercise will do just that.

You’ll identify 8-10 of the most pivotal events of your life story and plot them on a timeline, just like a screenwriter would do. (Some people may identify more than 10 events, some less.) Once you’ve identified these events, you’ll begin to build a redemptive perspective and recognize how God has worked with these seasons to shape you into who you are today. Once you see that, you’ll begin to understand your purpose and calling in new ways.

You’ll need to set aside about 2 hours to complete this timeline, so plan accordingly, and it may take you several days before it really feels “done”. Don’t rush. If you need to leave this project and come back to it again the next day to complete it, do so. It can be surprisingly triggering to head back into our past; positively and negatively. Whatever you do, give it all you’ve got. It’ll be worth it.

Pause

To begin, pause. Sit with God and ask him to guide you as you survey the significant events of your life together.

Make a List

Grab your journal and begin to make a list. Identify every significant Life Turn you can think of. Life Turns are threshold moments. These are events that bring you through a “doorway” of sorts; something happens, and once you’re on the other side, you can never go back.

Life Turns can be as simple as the birth of a sibling, or working hard and earning a spot on the team. They can also be defining losses like the breakup of a friendship, or the death of a parent. If you think of something, write it down, and refine your list later.

Remember to ask God for guidance; you probably have more defining moments than you realize. Also, don’t feel pressure to only locate events that seem like a “big deal”. Even very small things can have a big impact. If it seems significant, write it down.

As your list comes in to focus, give each event a title, and describe it in a few sentences. These events can be both positive or negative in nature, so it might help to ascribe each one a number value on a scale from -10 to +10 to keep track of ups and downs.

To jog your memory, it can be helpful to work in time increments. Perhaps start with the first 5-10 years of your life, then move on through each decade of life from there, up until present day.

Create Your Timeline

Once you’ve completed your list of Life Turns, grab a blank piece of paper, or begin a new page in your journal. Turn the page sideways and draw a horizontal line across the middle. Place your birth year on the left end of the line, and present day on the right. Now plot your Life Turns in order on the timeline in sequence, using a vertical line for each. Allow the height or depth of the vertical line to reflect the positive or negative value you placed on each one. Label each line with the title you chose.

Look Back

Finally, return to the events you’ve ascribed a negative value. These are your Negative Turns. For the last step, begin to identify a redemptive perspective. Redemption is about recovering something that was lost. God doesn’t author pain and suffering, but he does redeem it. Identify God’s voice, help, gifts, and presence within these difficult seasons.

How did you grow as a person?

What did you gain through this suffering or difficulty?

Begin to recognize God’s presence within these Negative Turns. You’ll talk about this more with your discipler, so don’t worry if you have trouble identifying these redemptive threads in detail. Just get started.