We are dependent on divine dew drops, such as grace and mercy, that turn our pale plans and dashed dreams into stories shimmering with resilience and hope.
It is important to understand and tell our stories because in doing so we reflect and see where hurt held us back, when love lifted us, and how we can move forward wiser because of those lessons, and braver because of the grace and mercy that was, is, and always will be present with every step.
Our experiences shape who we are because of the stories we tell ourselves about what happened to us; outside-in thinking disables our truth and the potential it holds. We feel dim because of what has been done to us and the darkness we witness, but that is not the whole story.
You are light because of the love that lives within you, that whispers through your heart. When we endeavor to look deeply and listen deeply within, we invite our hearts to shape the narrative.
It will take time, patience, and prayer, and it will be worth it, for the proverbs tell us, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insights draws them out.”
Write on a scroll what you see and send it …
Revelation 1:11
Writing invites us to listen, to become still, to quiet the bouncing thoughts, and to connect with the rhythm flowing from the heart. Writing is an instrument to draw out those deep waters of purpose, expressed as stories – thus the importance of telling our stories.
But the most critical point is this: What happens if we don’t?
Toni Morrison describes the “nightmare” of entire universes being “described in invisible ink,” the “erasure of other voices,” and “poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people.”
When society, tradition, and culture attempt to fit us into a box or dismiss us with a label, our narratives fill the space, bend the boundaries, and provide richer language for more nuanced definitions.
My faith tells me that our stories are simply part of a bigger narrative still being written. The proclamation of the kingdom is a grassroots, generational endeavor – for centuries, people have had the boldness to hear God’s word, follow the Way, and bind up their stories so that others might believe in a Living God.
What if your story is the one to open someone else’s heart?
Could your story be a beacon of hope, a ray of light that enlightens others?
