This English-lovin’ Dickinsin-obsessed lady loves beautiful words and so it pains me to write the above title.
It’s like fingernails down a chalkboard to write “don’t it?” but truthfully, I have Tina and Ike’s song “Every Picture Tells A Story, Don’t It?” running through my head at the moment.
I have been reading a book by a writer I have recently discovered and I find myself nodding at least at every other page. Shauna Niequist’s book Cold Tangerines is a book of short vignette’s of her life and as I read each one, I find myself highlighting pretty much the entire book.
And yes, I nod. The nodding, in my humble opinion, is how we know we are reading a good writer.
She writes about loss. She laments over the curse of writing. But what I read last night it precisely the number one reason I share my life like an open book – good will inevitably come from the crown of ashes that has been replaced by a crown of beauty.
And as I look back at the road I’ve traveled I realize that it’s not MY story – it’s HIS story.
I’m merely the vessel to glorify Him.
These words, these brilliant words, are what I read last night:
Every life tells a story, through words and actions and choices, through our home and our children, through our clothes and dishes and perfume. We each play a character in a grand drama, and every stage direction matters. We tell our stories, and we let God’s story be told through our stories. We hide and we seek, and we lose ourselves in the best possible way, and find things around us and insides ourselves that we never expected. We tell God’s story as we live and discover our own. We know that God is a storyteller. Hes’ a mad scientist and a father and a magician, and certainly, he’s a storyteller. And I don’t know if there’s anything better in the world than when we lay ourselves wide open and let his story become our story, when we screw up our fists and our courage and start to tell the truest, best stories we know, which are always’ God’s stories.
-Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines (Hide and Seek)
Not long ago, I met a person who made a passing comment about how open I am with you all on my blog. She made a comment that indicated that she thought perhaps I shouldn’t reveal as much as I do.
And though I feel strongly that we should all be real about Jesus’ hand in our lives, there is still the human side of me that hears what I perceive to be criticism and I begin to wonder. So since then, I’ve been examining why I do share so much and I came to this – I share what I share so honestly because this story is His story and it’s really beautiful.
Every last detail.
I don’t really want to leave anything out.
On this Multitude Monday, I thank God for…
381. The story that I thought was mine but is really His
382. His way with words, with a beauty that’s beyond my comprehension
383. How the plot thickens and resolves then thickens and resolves
384. The story that is still in progress
385. The mysterious ending
386. The trust His story encourages within me
387. His story that I read in others
388. The story I see beginning to be told in my children
389. His hand that it literally every place in the linear time line of my existence
390. The Table of Contents He reveals in our outer shell but then makes the real “meat” of a chapter come through when we decide to tell it
This week may you pray over your story. May you see His hand in every angle. May you trust and love and marvel and what the next chapter just may be.
As always, I am joining with dear Ann to count down the myriad of gifts that I so often fail to see and will gather with my Soli Deo Gloria Sisters on Tuesday with sweet Jen from Finding Heaven.
natalie, you are so right. your life is His Story! You need to find where to draw the line in terms of privacy issues both for yourself and family members and in what you reveal. Your comfort level will be different from the next persons”s but you are only accountable for your life, not theirs:)
I love the way you write. You offer a vulnerability that is rarely seen. Trust God for the ability to give you a happy medium with wise counsel from your husband:)
Thanks, Martha. I hear you completely – there ARE some things, believe it or not, I won’t write about. My husband, my marriage, personal things about my children that I think would later embarrass them are all sacred. I won’t write about any of ’em. Ever.
Thank you, also, Martha for being so encouraging. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you at Relevant this fall!
I had the opposite comment, Natlie. Someone commented on how open I am and how she wishes she would not be so closed-up so that people could know from her life they are not alone. That’s why we blog, right? To be part of the greater Body of sisters out there and to remember we are not alone in any struggle we face, to give Him the glory for all the good in our life and to model and get support in leaning on Him when life is not so good. I have enjoyed “getting to know you” :)
Likewise, Gaby. Thank you! And yes, I agree with you in that revealing my wild ride of a life to others is my way of encouraging others and yes, it’s one of the main reasons I blog. Thankful you are not afraid to be honest, Gaby.
i often get told that i am totally honest on my blog too…but I think people like that and hopefully can relate. So many people wear masks or hide themseleves. I like your honesty and respect you for it.
Our pastor in church yesterday was so completely honest about his struggles with always having faith and it made me respect him more because it made him as human and i am!
Thank you for sharing your life with me. I appreciate it.
Thanks, Missie. And YES! Don’t you love when someone who is SUPPOSED to have it “all together” in the faith department admits he/she struggles with the hard questions sometimes, too? It makes everyone just breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Keep up with the honesty and realness girl!
It’s so easy to hear the criticism within a statement that he, Satan, longs to use to burden our hearts, hold us down, focus on it rather than Him…His plan…His ability to use the broken pieces for His glory. Friend, you’ve nailed it. You heard what was meant to harm, hold down, hinder, but you chose to acknowledge it for what it was and move forward. There are hoorays and hands clapping in heaven over this one, I guarantee it.
Erin, thank you so much for your encouragement. I completely agree – there are so many lies that feed into us communicated via those who are in bondage over their own brokenness and yes, the enemy loves those types. I know because I once was one at one time in my life long ago…Thank you for your sweet words, dear one. I truly appreciate you.
What a beautiful quote…This book has moved up my TBR list :)
Love your gifts this week…so beautiful.
Thanks, girl. YES. You would love her…
I love this post! I am going to pass it on to a friend who has been “blessed” with the challenge of writing her story.
Charity, thank you. I am going to visit both your blog and Kimberly’s blog soon – I’m buried in birthday-land for my four year old at the moment and will emerge after the weekend festivities…
Thank you again for 1) reading and 2) encouraging your friend. God is so good like that…
It is a *beautiful* story and I am so glad you share it openly! It is a gift to share His story. And share it with such beautiful words. Your list is wonderful Natalie!
Thanks, Jennifer, and thank you for the LOVELY print. My mother is receiving it for her birthday next week and I know she will love it. Your talent is so breath-taking…I am going to order a customized cross I just need to figure out what I want on it…
I am glad you don’t leave anything out. Who knows who will be reading what story that God could use to totally knock them upside the head, shower them with love, or breath that empathetic sigh with them?
And what is that saying? God is in the details?
Love that you said “knock them upside the head” because I feel like God does that to me SO often…I’m so, so slow, friend…:)
Cannot WAIT to get my hands on you in real life this summer!
I appreciate your words today…the real courage to be vulnerable. To allow Him access to your inner most parts to do what He wills..and then to share it. It truly is His story and how I pray we all begin to share it..myself included:)
xo
Yes, it is absolutely His story. He works so beautifully through us, doesn’t He? Thanks, Tiffini. You are a treasure, girl.
Hi there! I’m the “friend” Charity spoke of in an earlier comment, that is facing the challenge of writing my story. :) (If you happen upon my blog sometime and stick around long enough, you’ll see why!) I’m so glad she told me about your blog! I see you are a She Speaks hopeful…I’ll be there in July, perhaps we shall meet! I am definitely finding vulnerability to be a hard but necessary thing in doing this writing thing. And I also find it very rewarding. May the Lord continue to bless you as you find your voice!!!
Kimberly, how wonderful to meet you! Yes, I will be at She Speaks in July and can’t wait. I would definitely encourage you to pray for God to reveal how He wants you to tell His story. It does SO much good – both for the listener and for you. However, it doesn’t look the same with everyone so I encourage you to be in prayer.
I will visit your blog within the next few days – it’s birthday central around these parts and things get a little wild before a child’s birthday in this house! :)
You are a blessing to me, Kimberly. Thank you!