As we near Christmas and ponder the greatest story ever–the story of Jesus–I am more convinced than ever the importance of stories.
Stories matter. I believe it with all my heart. Biblically speaking, what are the words in the Bible? True stories picked by God for man to record so we can see the story of the world–brokenness to redemption and love. Now I am fully aware God would have made a way…He would have used someone else, but let us just think for a moment…what if Moses refused to write the story of the beginning of the world, of the exodus, of God’s law? What if Isaiah refused to write the story laid out in Isaiah. What if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all refused to write the stories of Jesus. The parables (stories) Jesus told? We need stories to see God’s love. To understand. We need stories to remember truth and understand life in a fuller way. I have been guilty in the past of refusing to believe the story God is writing in my life matters. I have vulnerably shared it only to be rejected, so for the longest time I hid it. I refused to share it. I began to believe it didn’t matter. I didn’t matter. But God is kind, He redeems, He reveals. He has shown me stories matter.
So many stories have mingled with mine over the years. Stories of Hope. Ordinary stories. God stories. Broken-redeemed stories. Good, good stories. They came to me in other people’s words, or simply in how they lived life. These stories walked with me through life, as tools to form me into the person I am today. Most of them were not earth shattering; rather they were a steady stream of strength. They all helped me take steps in the right direction.
But intermingled with these good stories was the bad. The stories that hindered, tore down, and breathed lies over my life.
All of us have a mix of both in our life. Bad stories are so hard, but the good will always win if we believe in them. If we choose to see the good not only the bad. If we get up over and over again. It takes effort to believe in the good but it’s always worth it.
Stories are told in many different ways. The most obvious form of course is reading a story. Fiction books have moved me deeply. I get to walk in someone else’s shoes and learn lessons they learn. A good fiction book can deeply impact me. Then there is non-fiction. Stories of peoples lives or what they have learned can deeply move people.
Then there are the stories heard across the pulpit as ministers share their heart.
Stories are told face to face. Testimonies from person to person are powerful. Stories birthed from relationships, sown in trust and vulnerability. Friends, family investing in each other, caring, encouraging.
Stories are often told in words, but they don’t have to be. A story can simply be a life lived well. So often I have observed someone’s story and longed to be more like them. I saw a gem hidden in the way they lived and the Spirit moved in my heart to move in that direction too. I saw the thankfulness a person exuded and I desired to grow in that. I saw the care someone bestowed and I longed to be more caring. I saw the way someone rested without guilt and I knew I needed that too. I witnessed a legacy of strong character and love and knew that’s the kind of legacy I wanted to leave. Simply living your life can leave a big impact on someone. They may just see something in you they want.
Sometimes we may not even fully understand a story until years later. Maybe a story plants a seed in your heart and you don’t completely get why it is special to you. Something about this Cinderella movie really deeply moved me the first time I watched it. I couldn’t put my finger on it until just recently when I watched it with the girls again. It clicked for me and I fully understood why it was so important to me. If a story is in your heart but you don’t know why, don’t give up on it, one day you will know. Cling to the stories that move you, they are from God’s heart to yours. Let them change you.
The bottom line is, Stories are incredibly impactful both for good or bad. As I step back and look over all the stories that intermingled with mine, I ask myself, what story is my life telling? Am I willing to be vulnerable enough to tell it? Am I telling stories with my words and actions that build up or tear down? Good stories are not born on accident, they are crafted with intentionality; born from our walk in the Spirit.
As you look over your life, what stories have mingled with yours both for good or bad? What story is your life telling? Our stories are not in a vacuum pack. Our stories live on in other people’s hearts even if the only story we are telling is by simply living our life. Our stories matter.
