Faith and Storytelling.
Once Upon a Time...
One of the beautiful things about childhood is the stories. I loved reading stories to my kids when they were little. Occasionally they would humor me and let me make one up. Basically all of those stories went like this:
Once upon a time life was like this. Then something happened. And the main character met someone and/or did something and was transformed. Then there was a new normal and then he/she lived happily ever after.
Every. Time.
Once upon a time there was a princess stuck in a tower and along came a prince but he couldn’t get to her so she let down her hair and he climbed up and saved her and they lived happily ever after.
Once up one a time there were some kids that got taken by a cannibalistic which but they outsmart her and are freed and they live happily ever after.
Once upon a time a girl was forced to be a servant for her step sisters and step mom but her fairy God-mother turns her into a princess for the night and she dances with the prince at the ball. Searching for her later he finds her by way of a glass slipper and they live happily ever after.
Every. Time.
I believe that all real life stories can end like this. We always have the promise of transformation. God meets us where we are and reaches into our life and makes us new.
That doesn’t mean our villains aren’t real. It means our God is bigger than our villains.
Every. Time.
I know people who have endured dragons too unspeakable to name. But a grace and love that overcomes death, grief, rape, molestation, financial ruin, adultery, addiction, and an infinite number of dark demons is powerful too. Grace is also too powerful to name when you’re going through hell. But once healed, it’s hard not to name it. It is what gives our story its power and it is what gives us power to tell our story.
And when we tell our story, it gives other people inspiration and permission to be transformed as well.
Until Everyone Hears,
P.S. - I have a template that helps you visually lay out your story included in this link.