Story – A Light in the Darkness

Encouragement.

Our hearts crave it. We are blessed when we share it. The willingness to lift one another up; to reach through the difficult times – when one wavers and wonders, “Can I do this? Am I worth is?” and answer those tremulous whispers with the positive, resounding, “yes!” – is a beautiful thing. We send cards, cook meals, we pause and pray for one another. We stand in the gap for one another.

But do we ever consider that our stories – the unfolding telling of our lives – can also be an encouragement?



It is not easy. The choice to be vulnerable; to share our experiences and our trials; to drop the mask of filtered perfections and allow other to see us when our homes are a mess; when we’re not being brave and strong; when we’re yelling at our kids or the car that cut us off on the freeway; when the mascara is tracing black tracks down our cheeks. It is not easy. 

Our story, and our willingness to share it with transparency and authenticity, allows connections to be made and flourish across the blog post; through the book chapters; and in and around speaking engagements.

In some way or another, we are all desert wanderers in need of grace. We have all been lost. We have all pulled through droughts and lean times. We have all felt the darkness closing around us. We have all been alone.

In telling our story, we allow ourselves to be seen, and we enable others to find themselves reflected there. A solitary light illuminates the path for another to walk by, and suddenly, neither is alone in the darkness anymore.

You’ve read it before, but let me tell you again, because it bears repeating:

Your story matters.

No other person will have your set of experiences, your hope, or your heartaches. No one else will know the inexplicable delight of living through the miracles that God has performed in your life. No one will know the same things that break your heart or give you joy.

But in hearing your story, they may find a parallel in their own life and say, “what – you too?” And then a bridge is built; hearts are encouraged; and no one is walking through the kingdom alone.


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