I love good stories. I especially like true stories about the human spirit overcoming obstacles; or stories about people who endure great suffering and emerge profoundly changed. Storytelling isn’t as commonplace as it used to be. There was a time when family memoirs were passed through the generations via story telling; and the chronicles of each community and culture were kept sacred by its stories. It seems like now that has been replaced by media and our personal or communal stories often get lost or ignored.
We all have a story. It has a beginning and a middle and, of course, will have an end. Sometimes discovering that story, that inner story, is a process that takes some time and some courage. One of the things I love about 12 step programs is that it is one of the few communities where we still tell our stories.
We tell them when we celebrate a sobriety birthday, or speak, or qualify at a meeting. We share them with our sponsees. Every time I tell my story I unearth more truth about myself. I usually start out nervous and tentative, afraid of rejection or judgment. Then someone will give me a smile or nod of understanding, as though to say “I hear you, I understand you…” and with that nod I get the courage to go deeper, share more of myself, and reveal more of God’s miracles in my life today.
I think God wants us to share our stories. We have a responsibility to chronicle the miracle. He also wants us to be courageous. I need to look deep, to find my innermost sorrows and fears, the weakness and inadequacies that are a part of my story. When I discover my truth and understand how it shaped my story it becomes my Experience, Strength and Hope. Just for Today I have Nothing to Fear.
Through story we draw connections between the happenings of life and the lessons of God. We catch God suddenly in the thick of our days. Sue Monk Kidd Firstlight
We all have a story. It has a beginning and a middle and, of course, will have an end. Sometimes discovering that story, that inner story, is a process that takes some time and some courage. One of the things I love about 12 step programs is that it is one of the few communities where we still tell our stories.
We tell them when we celebrate a sobriety birthday, or speak, or qualify at a meeting. We share them with our sponsees. Every time I tell my story I unearth more truth about myself. I usually start out nervous and tentative, afraid of rejection or judgment. Then someone will give me a smile or nod of understanding, as though to say “I hear you, I understand you…” and with that nod I get the courage to go deeper, share more of myself, and reveal more of God’s miracles in my life today.
I think God wants us to share our stories. We have a responsibility to chronicle the miracle. He also wants us to be courageous. I need to look deep, to find my innermost sorrows and fears, the weakness and inadequacies that are a part of my story. When I discover my truth and understand how it shaped my story it becomes my Experience, Strength and Hope. Just for Today I have Nothing to Fear.
Through story we draw connections between the happenings of life and the lessons of God. We catch God suddenly in the thick of our days. Sue Monk Kidd Firstlight
