Story Matters
Your story matters.
Some people have amazing, dramatic, or exciting stories. Others have stable, solid, or linear stories. All stories matter. Don’t dismiss your testimony because it doesn’t seem to evoke the kind of emotional ‘shock and awe’ of another person’s story. Your story matters.
The truth is without some truly stable stories, we’d all live in chaos. Stories that follow a seemingly flat course give hope. We find it is possible to live a life in peace and harmony with others. There are always challenges that can be drawn out and illuminated, some internal struggle or maybe it is funny event. Perhaps, a circumstance that deeply affected how you see the world.
Tragedy and trauma can be attention getters, but they sometimes lack a lesson.
When my children were little, I used to say that my house looked like someone turned it upside-down and shook it. It would get so messy. With five kids from one to eleven, all homeschooling, it was quickly in disarray, but we usually managed to maintain a reasonable state of order. Now, with all of my children grown, the vacuum marks might stay visible for a week along the edge of the room.
The lesson in that story is simple. Family life changes. If I were trying to talk to young parents of small children about getting through the struggles of daily life, I would talk about ways to keep perspective on the important things. Things like duty, honor, cooperation, kindness, and respect are easily taught coupled with chores or making cookies.
Testify
My testimony of how God completely, radically changed the course of my life of child sexual abuse and sex trafficking can be off-putting to someone who had a stable home life with loving parents.
But, again, that gives people hope that there really are genuinely good people in the world and that civil society is still possible.
So, when I hear someone say, “Whew. I don’t know how to follow that.” when they are to speak, I cringe. It is super important for us to hear that happy families and sane parents still exist.
Maybe you grew up in a Cristian home and accepted Jesus as your Savior at four years old. You always went to church and you always felt safe. Even if you don’t want to be vulnerable and expose all of your internal conflicts, you don’t want to diminish your story.
The lesson is clear. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, of power and of a sound mind. That is awesome.
Tell Your Stories
It means when you are talking to someone they can hear the good news in your story just as clearly and significantly as in mine. Most people don’t need to fill a time slot speaking. They usually talk to others in general conversational ways. We often only have a few minutes.
We were not born into this world to be alone. Each of us will impact those around us, from the grocery store attendant to the family we live with. We all communicate.
What we communicate is up to us. So, let us continue to share our stories with those around us and thoughtfully share the lessons by choosing our words carefully. Use the word stable instead of boring. Maybe the words that exemplify your childhood would be happy or exciting or full of good energy.
The world needs you and your story matters.