It was my privilege to be in Washington, DC for the annual gala event for the Museum Of The Bible.
I was blown away by the museum, just 3 1/2 blocks from the Capitol. It was a jampacked weekend of tours, speakers, networking, visions, and dreams.
Not to mention meeting amazing people, forming powerful connections, and knowing that I have several new lifetime friends.
During one of the powerful gatherings, well-known artist, Matthew West, was speaking about our stories. About how important each of our stories is.
But when he made the statement I opened with, it was one of those moments when I knew I had been powerfully inspired.
I’m not sure what else he said because after that statement I was thinking of you.
I was thinking of your story.
I was thinking of how important your story is.
And how much that I long for you to know that your story makes a difference!
I have a favor of you…would you be willing to share your story with me?
“Me!?” You may be asking. Yes! YOU!
What do I mean by stories? Here’s what John Capecci and Timothy Cage, authors of Living Proof: Telling Your Story to Make a Difference say about it:
“The ability to see our lives as stories and share those stories with others is at the core of what it means to be human. We use stories to order and make sense of our lives, to define who we are, even to construct our realities: this happened, then this happened, then this. I was, I am, I will be. We recount our dreams, narrate our days, and organize our memories into stories we tell others and ourselves. As natural-born storytellers, we respond to others’ stories because they are deeply, intimately familiar.”
There are 3 things that I would like to share with all of you about your story. It’s been almost 24 hours since I heard that quote, and I’ve thought of practically nothing other than your story since.
So, before I make my formal request, or ask my favor about your story, I’d like to share with you 3 things about your story.
1. Your Story sets the course for the rest of your life.
We all go through life and find that…life happens!
Those priceless moments…
The birth of a child
A wedding celebration
Getting the promotion
Hearing the words: “You are now cancer free!”
A great movie that moves us
Buying a home
Hearing a gifted singer belting powerful lyrics
A God moment
The sunrise
The sunset
Remarkable sports wins
The list could be very long ….
But along the way, most of us had some unfortunate moments that altered our lives. Things like:
A child receiving a poor diagnosis
Divorce or a break up
Losing a job
Hearing the words: “You will need more in-depth treatment”
Too much stress in your life to take time to see a good movie
Losing your hearing, or some other unfortunate disability
Hopelessness
Working a long day in a factory with no windows from before sunrise to after sunset
Failure or loss
The list could also be very long.
Likely, we’ve not had as many moments from the top list as we would like, and we’ve had way more from the second list than we would want.
We don’t get to control “life.” But what we can do is believe that life happens “for us” … not “to us.” Then what is fascinating is really looking at how we craft our story from what happens.
No, I’m not getting ready to give you a motivational speech or tell you to just get over it. Or deny that anything ever really happened that affected you.
But what I am going to tell you is that regardless of what has happened, the story you tell yourself, and the world about it, determines the course of your life. Not what happens to you.
Create a powerful story! Don’t “make up a story” … just find the good in your story. Don’t allow “life” to set you drifting at sea! Set the course of your life in a positive direction.
2. You may not be able to control what happens in your life, but you have more control over your story than you think.
I work with clients on their stories and often tell them not to create a fairytale where there’s a magical ending. (Unless, of course, you actually had one).
What is my point here? Create a story that takes priceless moments mixed with hardships and unfortunate moments … then at the very least, tell it in a way that tells others that they can make it through similar things.
An example?
I grew up with a reading disorder. No one knew much about reading disorders at the time. I overheard a conversation at the water fountain one day in second grade.
We had just finished a jump rope contest that I had nailed. I had run behind two teachers to the water fountain and heard the other second grade teacher say to mine: “Who was that little girl that did that dancing in the middle of the jump rope?”
I heard my teacher respond: “Well, she might be good at jump rope, but she’s ordinary at best in the classroom, and not educational material!”
I ran home that day and asked my mom: “Mother, what does ordinary mean?” With no context, she responded sweetly: “Oh it’s something that’s not all that special.”
My heart sank. My story for many years was that I was dumb and that I wasn’t all that special. (My Mother would have been horrified and probably would’ve paid that teacher a visit had she known!)
I did okay in school, although I struggled to read. My sister would read my homework to me, so I wouldn’t fail.
My life and my story was: “I am an ordinary girl with an ordinary life and there’s really nothing for me in the future, because there’s nothing special about me.”
Then one day, I was in my senior year. I had a job at a credit department inside a department store like a Target or a Walmart. I approved or denied credit for ordinary people with ordinary lives buying things they could not afford to make their lives better.
I had completed my work early but had to stay until the store closed. I was thinking about the “ordinary” word again. My elbows were rested on the counter and my chin was resting in my hands as I watched the second hand on an ordinary clock tick off seconds.
Something in me rose up and I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs: “I DON’T WANT ORDINARY … I WANT MORE!”
It was a pivotal moment. I realized I wanted more! I wanted to help people. (Not help them buy things they could not afford!) For the moment, I could see myself getting an education … even if I couldn’t read! For the moment, I believed.
That moment of belief led me to a doctoral degree. And my story now is … no matter what limitations you may have. No matter whether others believe in you or not. You can do and become all you were created to be. (And by the way … whatever that is … it is GREAT! Beyond what you imagine!)
My story is that I am here week after week to tell you that your best is yet to come!
Create a story that (at the very least) will help people see you’ve been through “stuff” … and you’re still here!
3. Your story matters. YOU MATTER!
No matter what has happened to you. No matter what’s gone right, no matter what’s gone wrong…your story matters!
Why?
Because someone, somewhere… Needs to hear your story.
Maybe the only thing they will take from it, is that you made it through it. But they may be at the end of their rope, and your story may be that little spark of hope or ray of light on their dark path that will make all the difference.
That’s why I’m wondering if you would be willing to share your story with me? I would love to have a collection of stories to share with the hundreds of people I communicate with weekly.
You may share your story anonymously, or you may share it with your name, and even include your contact info if you would like. But anonymous is fine.
You may send it to me at DrNeecie@DrNeecie.com. Unless we have your permission to use your name, we will be pulling all the stories from the emails without any contact information.
Would you be willing to share your story to help someone else in need?
Isn’t that really what it’s all about?
I look forward to hearing your story. And knowing you matter!
***********
I witnessed a story this weekend that was priceless! A story that could’ve had a sad ending, but instead … it’s a story of love.
Aaron Jeoffrey was a father/son duo that took the gospel world by storm back in the 80’s/90’s. They scored at least 10 #1 hits on the gospel charts and impacted audiences across the whole nation.
Aaron became a young adult and went out on his own. Jeoffrey struggled with what to do next.
Although they remained close as father and son, their careers went different directions. Their songs left a great legacy, and years later, stories continue to pour in about people’s stories who were turned right side up as a result of their songs.
Jeoffrey had co-written a song years ago called “He Is …” The song goes through the books of the Bible and identifies who Jesus is in each book.
Many longed to hear the father/son duo again. Would they sing together again? Other than at family weddings?
This weekend, they were invited to sing “He Is” at the Museum of the Bible’s annual gala in Washington, DC. (A song Jeoffrey co-wrote years ago …)
Their story is powerful! Because of their love for God and the Museum, they came together…live…and brought the house down with their song: “He Is …” YES…Their legacy continues.
Is that the end of their story?
Who knows! But I know an entire ballroom of people came to their feet at the end of the powerful song.
(If you’d like to hear it, you may view an amateur filming of it from my iPhone that doesn’t really do it justice here: https://bit.ly/HeIsAaronJeoffrey)
Your story matters! You matter!
I know it’s difficult to erase every ‘go to pattern’ of action, habit, or reaction we use to respond daily in our lives, to whatever crosses our paths.
But remember, so many of these ‘go to patterns’ we fall into, are the results of us not having the ability to go back and erase what we’ve already done, which cause us to live in a droning, defeating, “good enough/get by” cycle.
But believe it or not. It’s the total honesty of us sharing our story, from a place of humility, that somehow (I believe it’s God with us that does it) transforms this authenticity, into healing for our past and hope for someone else’s future.
Share your story!
I hope you will share it with me … or if you are really courageous, drop down into the comments and share it there!
Before Jesus became The Story…He shared His story…
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
There’s a reason that is the mission statement of my life!
What’s your story?
