The gift of listening

Everyone has a story. 

Whether its worth being told is a question we often wrestle with. Do we open our hearts and draw out memories and bind them together with words and phrases trying to make them dance or penetrate or wrap tight around those who are listening? Do we use our minds to spark a fire in the neurones, inspiring thought and contemplation?

Do we trust that the story is one that is being authored by the master of all words? or do we doubt the words spoken or ink on the sheet that appear? Are our words too insignificant, our story too small to be worthy of an audience?

Today, I had the honour of sitting in the companionship of a beautiful young women who told me her story. What a story. It was told with hesitation that the story was worthy of telling, that the experiences of how she felt and saw the Lord working were some how made small. In moments like this honour my words fall me, all I could say was thank you. Thank you for sharing, having courage to share and praise the Lord for your sharing and the journey you have walked. 

It made me reflect this afternoon though, on the importance of words, on stories. Words have lived eternal. In the beginning was The Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. God has told His story in Chapter and Verse but just as scripture is alive, a breathing moving power, we too are filled with story for we are made in His image. 

It really is true that our days are a testament to His grace, in the messy moments of life, when our tongues slip or our tempers flare or impatience leaks out fleshly and feral. And His grace bleeds into the cracks. 

We are filled with story in our pursuit of love. In our hearts for the poor, the sick, the tiny bodies filled full with spirit, or simply the strangers before us. Even when our love is imperfect. 

After listening to the very powerful moving story, I wanted to be able to say - 

Hey You, beautiful girl, the one who’s lived and loved and has stories to tell. 

We need your voice. 

We need your words. 

We need you to open up the door to your heart and invite us to see the treasures within. 

I know that’s hard and scary. The questions come so quickly, which I could see while debating how much information to share - “Am I good enough? Will this sound strange?” Do I have anything to offer” We let those question marks cover up the exclamation points our souls are made to express and when we hide our stories, we miss out. 

Will you share it with the world?

We want to hear the broken parts, the happy moments, the things you never expect, the desires fulfilled, the longings still tugging at your heart. Most of all, we want to hear about Jesus in and through you. You’re created in the image of God and there’s a part of who He is that we only get to see through who you are. 

Its time to remember we can tell our stories in so many different ways. We can share it with a friend, put on a blog, speak it from a stage. All of those make a different. Today though, through pulling up a chair, lean in close. The speaking from the heart that was holding inside to receive the words, hold them too with love, grace and hands reaching across to yours. We’re all earth dwellers and story tellers. Messy and glorious. Living out our syllables and chapters. We’re all part of the same book. The unending tale of God’s love. 

And we need your story! 

We are filled with story when we spread bear our souls and let our words shoe His way. So, tell your story. Shout it out, or jot it down. Share it over coffee and a scone. Share the beauty but don’t leave out the mess, the burdens, the fears and failings. It’s in our humanity that we connect and see the embroidered threads swirling into images. Of a people redeemed. The story is us!