Jesus Saves Our Stories

God has been putting the idea of story in my mind for months. I know it can't be a coincidence. I keep reading about it, hearing about it, thinking about it, and I know there must be some learning behind it. I first read a book 'Million Miles in a Thousand Years' about our lives as stories and felt like it was missing something. I thought it failed to answer why our stories really matter and how they've got to be more than just us making the right choices or the 'power of positive thinking.' I've been throwing it over and over in my mind ever since. Why do we tell each other our stories? Why does it matter? Are our stories just about us?

One of my recent favorite movies is 'The King's Speech.' It's an amazing story about a man who becomes king of England right on the brink of World War II and who suffers from a terrible stutter. He meets with therapist after therapist to no avail; his stutter is worse than ever. At the end of the rope, he comes to the office of Lionel Logue and there he meets a man who understands that his stutter is not the real issue. His stammer is a result of traumatic events as a child, not being fed by his nanny, years of ridicule, losing a brother, living a life of royalty, having no friends, having no confidence. This king had never really spoken to anyone about anything: had never shared anything of importance. He had no community.

On the surface, he is a king! A king with a terrible speech impediment. But underneath, he is a man. A boy who was neglected, mocked, told he needed to try harder, rejected.. who grew into a man who had no real friends and lived in the terrible chains of his speech.

Underneath, we all have stories.

The lives we are leading are oftentimes a product of the stories we have been telling up to that point.

We tell our stories because if we don't, we forget how alike we really are. We tell our stories because if we don't, we forget community. We tell our stories because if we don't, we forget our purpose. We tell our stories because if we don't, we miss out on a great opportunity to lead and teach someone. We tell our stories because if we don't, we forget why they're important. Jesus has saved our stories.

I read a book recently ('Love Wins') that talked about the power of story. The author, Rob Bell, talked about the prodigal son in Luke 15 and how each son had a different version of his story. The younger son, who ran away and squandered all his father's money, believes that he isn't worthy of being his father's son again because of the terrible things he's done. The older son, who has faithfully worked for his father for years and years, believes that the father's love is dependent on the work he's done. Each son believes their own telling of their story. But the father tells each one of them, 'Son, you are LOVED and FORGIVEN. Son, ALL that I have is YOURS." He tells them a better version.

Then the book goes on to ask whose version of our story are we trusting? Our own versions, our own pasts, ourselves? Or are we trusting in a story where we are redeemed, loved, valued, beautiful, and saved?

"We hand God.. our stories and we listen while we're told a better one. Because the good news is better than that."

When people tell you their story, how do you respond? Do you tell them a better one?

Lionel Logue in 'The King's Speech' told the king a better version of his story. Not the one that he believed and trusted: that he never deserved to be king and that he had a stammer that disabled him. But that he HAD A VOICE and he was the right man to lead the people of England. His story became one of hope, change, and faith.

My sister, the awesome one in Africa, is teaching her Congolese students to reach out and teach others. In a Democratic Republic of the Congo Realities course, her students participated in service learning projects and went out into the community, teaching other Congolese about health, family, and economic issues. One group went to a local hospital and talked to women about childbirth and proper nutrition for their babies. Another group talked to families and the causes, prevention, and treatment of malaria. Another group did a skit and a Q&A session on drugs and sexual violence at a local church. Many groups were invited back and engaged their citizens in solutions. It's unbelievable.

All of these groups and all of these students are going out into the community and teaching and equipping and instructing their fellow Congolese. They're impacting and influencing and I believe they are helping rewrite some stories. Ones of hope, change, and faith.

That's why our stories matter. That's why we tell them. Because when we tell them, we are reminded of the one that's better. We are reminded of the one Jesus told on the cross. That no matter what our lives have looked like in the past, no matter what we hand God at the end of the day, no matter how many mistakes we've made, we know that He has written us a better one. One of love and forgiveness and redemption. Our lives are continuous stories and we can change them because Jesus saved them. He saves our stories and points us in the direction of a better one. The Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes our story.

"Your deepest, darkest sins and your shameful secrets are simply irrelevant when it comes to the counterintuitive, ecstatic announcement of the gospel."

Share your story with me and I'll tell you a better one.