Learning to Love Your Story
Story. We all love a good story - whatever form it may take (i.e. movie, book, gossip, etc.). Many of us look to other stories as a way of escaping our own. We don't like our story - or at least parts of it. We wish we could change our story. We wish our story was like the one on TV or in the novel or the one our friend leads. We are not satisfied with our story. Perhaps there is too much pain in our story or not enough love. Maybe there is regret or guilt. Maybe our story is tainted by fear or betrayal. Whatever the reason, there are few of us who truly love our story for what it is.
"Love our story? Why on earth would we want to do that?! What makes my story so special?" you ask. Well, each of us has a story - unique and individual. There are no two stories exactly the same. Genesis 1:27 says this, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." If we are created in God's image and are a reflection of His nature and character, we can deduct that God must have a story too. Does He? Absolutely! The Bible shares His Story with us - all the way from Creation to the foretelling of Jesus' Second Coming - we see His Story played out. God's story is one of love and offers His plan of salvation. It is the greatest story of all time. It offers hope and everlasting life to those who choose to accept His gift and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is God's story full of only happy, make-you-feel-good elements? No. Over and over again, God's chosen people walked away from Him. Time and time again, God's servants disobeyed Him. Peter, one of Jesus' twelve disciples betrayed Him...not just once, but THREE times (in one night I might add). The religious leaders sought to kill Him. God's only Son was whipped, tortured, and sent to the cross to die. No, God's story is not just a make-you-feel-good story. Yet, His story made it possible for us to commune with God and live in heaven with Him if we choose to follow Him. It is a story of redemption.
"So, I have a story. God has a story. What's the big deal?" Here is the beautiful thing about it: as we are a reflection of Christ - made in the image of God - our stories point to the greatest story of all time, in one way or another. For those of us who have chosen to accept the grace given to us by the Father, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to confess our sins - acknowledging our need for a Savior, our stories are also ones of redemption and hope. Our stories can point others to Christ. In a dark land, the good and the bad in our stories can be a beacon of light to those around us. Whatever the element of our story, it has the ability to give God glory.
Aside from that, our stories shape and mold our character. Each and every part of our story affects the person we are and the person we will become. Often people mistake easy, seemingly-perfect lives with happiness and meaning. However, it is rarely those who sail through life smoothly that end up being characters of depth and meaning. Rather, it is the bumps in the road, the inconveniences in life, the hurts, the hardships, and the struggles that produce character and meaning in our stories. Each bump can better prepare us to face the next. Each struggle can strengthen us for the next. Each inconvenience can help us prioritize.
Whatever Disney may entice us to believe, life is not a fairy tale. It is not simply about reaching a happily-ever-after. Life...well, life is about the journey. While it isn't wrong to dream of a happily-ever-after, we cannot focus on that. We must focus on life as it comes - day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Yet, our story is full of daily choices. Are we going to whine and complain about this mess, or thank God that in spite of the mess He is always there beside us? Are we going to react in anger when someone hurts us, or will we return hurt with love? Will we worry when it doesn't look like the paycheck will stretch, or will we trust that God will provide?
I think perhaps one of the most important things to remember is to be thankful for our story. God has given each of us a different story - one specifically designed for us because he loves us. He has a plan for our story. Will we complain about our story or envy the story of another? Or will we be thankful for the story that we have been given - knowing it has a purpose far greater than we might imagine...a Kingdom purpose? "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11) That goes for our stories too. Will we trust that He speaks truth? "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You." (Psalm 139:13-18) "In every thing, give thanks." (I Thessalonians 5:18a)
Learn to love YOUR story: Thank God. Praise God. Seek God. Love God.
MAY 29, 2014 Learn to Love Your Storyby Lysa Terkeurst "I thank my God every time I remember you." (Philippians 1:3) This past winter, I stood in my kitchen laughing with one of my kids while picking hard macaroni out of the melted cheese in the crockpot. Apparently, noodles like to be boiled beforehand when making a slow cooker recipe for macaroni and cheese.About the time I posted an Instagram picture of the dinner fiasco, I heard another daughter upstairs yelling for towels.It took a minute for it to register why she was panicked. Then I saw the water leaking through my kitchen ceiling. Toilet water.I ran. No, I flew upstairs yelling, "Turn that silver knob thing behind the toilet. Quick! Turn it so the water will shut off!"Later that night, our couch-turned-dancing-springboard decided it would no longer tolerate overly energetic, snowed-in teens. RIP, dear couch.I'd laughed about the noodles. I'd dealt with the toilet water. I'd gotten quite miffed with the couch situation.Another day.Another page in what makes this life ... my life ... a story.Not so much like the stories of books and big screens.Those stories are a little shinier and seemingly perfect.Those moms probably don't have cellulite because they don't eat mac and cheese. Their kitchen ceilings don't have stains because ... well because their kids don't use too much two-ply toilet paper. And their couches don't sag beyond repair.But I love my story. I love my story most of all.Why? How?Because I pre-decided that I would.I decided I would look at it all through the lens of noticing the rich evidence of life through each mess and mishap.Did I do it all perfectly? Nope. Not at all.But even if we choose to be noticers with thankful hearts just once today, we'll start to look at our stories in a different way.A more beautiful way.While carrying the wet towels downstairs, I saw a pile of my kids' shoes by the front door.I remembered our key verse, Philippians 1:3 where Paul says "I thank my God every time I remember you." I have plenty of reminders each day to thank God for the people in my life. To rejoice over every piece of my story. Starting with those shoes.So I whispered, "Notice. Be a noticer. See all the fun represented here and thank God for these moments."Noticers see the lovely in front of them and learn to love their story.What might happen if you pre-determined to look through the lens of lovely today? Dear Lord, thank You for this message today. Help me be a noticer with a thankful heart no matter how messy my life (or house!) may appear to be. I'm choosing to rejoice in the imperfect beauty of all of it. In Jesus' Name, Amen. My Thoughts: All of life - every detail, both good and bad - is a part of our story. All of life is a part of who we are and who God has made us to be. Even the things that are seemingly bad can mold and shape us in a good way - if we let them. It's easy to see others' lives and think they have everything together or everything just seems to work out for them. It's easy to be envious of someone else's life, but God gave us THIS life for a reason. Sometimes we don't understand why, but we can trust that God does. I know we often want to do something else and we often feel like there is nothing of purpose in our lives, but we must remember to thank God for all of life and the here and now situations. All of it is shaping our character. All of it is preparing us for the next thing God has for us. So, while we're waiting for God to show us the next step, we must thank God for what we are doing now - even if we think it is meaningless. Because nothing is truly meaningless - because ALL of life is a part of our unique story. |
