This weekend we begin a new series for the new year, and it’s all about story. Your story. The story of your life.
Your life is a story. And you’ve already lived part of that story and probably your past stories shape your current story. And the decisions you’re making right now, will one day be part of the story too. Unfortunately we often don’t slow down long enough in life to even get to know our story or understand how our present story has emerged from our past and moves inexorably into the future.
But you should because your story matters, your story is important, though probably not the way you might expect. Your story isn’t important because of you…you’re not even the central figure in your story. You’re story isn’t important because of you, it’s important because of God. God is the central figure in your story, and you’ll never even understand your story unless and until you understand it in the context of the larger story God is telling.
The best place to start is simply sitting down and reflecting on your story. Or better yet, begin to write your story out. It is a great therapeutic exercise and a great spiritual one too. Writing your story will help you know your story and knowing your story looking back will better position you to move forward with confidence and success.
Your life is a story and only you can make it a story worth telling. What better goal could you have moving into a brand new year?
A timely op ed from this morning’s Washington Post : http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-crying-over-les-miserables/2013/01/07/7e3c74a6-590b-11e2-88d0-c4cf65c3ad15_story.html?hpid=z2
One quote: There is a reason the great stories persist in provoking our lacrimal system: the hope that life is a story, that all the suffering, vulgarity, pity and sacrifice add up to something and lead somewhere.
Jim