Stories

I love stories. Fiction, non-fiction… I love them all. My absolute favorite stories, though, are the everyday ones. Normal people doing extraordinary things in their otherwise average lives. Little stories that make me feel better about the people I share this planet with. Stories that restore my faith in humanity, or make me feel like I’m doing better at this thing called life than I thought I was, or teach me something about God that I didn’t know. I need to hear stories of other people who are struggling with the same things I am. It helps to know I’m not alone, and I might learn something from their story.

We all have stories to share. We all have stains and scars and victories and life lessons. We all have wisdom, but we have to claim it. We have to own our story… our whole story (even the dark and ugly parts), before we can share the light of it with others. And before we can find joy in our own journey.

Exploring the darkness is scary. It’s hard. I remember camping as a kid and having to find the bathroom in the middle of the night. Not knowing what was hiding in the woods, out of reach of my puny little flashlight. Tripping over branches and rocks in the path. Hearing the strange sounds in the darkness. As we explore and embrace our own messy stories, we have to be brave. There will be branches and rocks on the path. Fear will get in the way and make it harder.

Oh, my friends, fear will lie to you. It will tell you that you’re not good enough, that you’re a burden, that you’re too broken to do or to be anything worthy of God’s love. Lies. You are worthy. You are loved. You are a child of God, handcrafted to a purpose only you can fulfill. God has a plan for YOU. For you, no matter how broken you feel. YOU are worthy. You are not forgotten. Don’t let satan tell you otherwise.

We must own our story to find our joy. We must share its light to find freedom and help another human in their journey. When we choose to be brave, the story we share can change someone’s life. If my friend hadn’t shared her struggles with mental illness with me, I may have never gotten the help I so desperately needed. Her story was a lighthouse that changed my life. Altered my course.

The stories we share don’t have to be profound. Our everyday stories can change the path of someone else’s day. We can choose to share our failures and our messiness with others going through the same things. We all need this. Every. Single. Day. We all need to lift each other up. To share our struggles. To hear that we are worthy and worthwhile.

Embrace your brokenness. Cherish your stains and your scars. Share your stories with those who need to see the love of God shining out through your broken pieces. You. Are. Beautiful.