And so, we come to the end of these 31 days.
These days of giving/finding/taking permission:
to disconnect,
to learn,
to lean,
to laugh,
to listen,
to lament,
to let loose,
to re-connect,
to sleep, perchance to dream,
to change,
to say no,
to take a break,
to see,
to be seen,
to read, read, read (1)
to dive in deep,
to remember,
to create,
to stop,
to dance,
to imagine,
to read, read, read (2)
to take a day off,
to get angry,
to be outrageous,
to breathe deeply,
to surrender,
to write a psalm,
to read, read, read (3)
to tell the truth,
and now,
TO TELL YOUR STORY.
Because, when it comes right down to it,
that’s our job on this planet:
to tell the story only we can tell.
To speak of the extraordinary ordinary,
to trace the ins and outs of
tedium,
wonder,
suffering,
learning,
unlearning,
wandering,
and being found.
Ah, yes.
That last piece,
that being found.
That unique way in which we link arms
with every other person,
across time and geography,
who has known the love of God.
Because no one else’s story looks like ours.
We know the same God,
we serve the same Savior,
but our stories are our own.
And they need to be told.
So. May I give you permission,
if you need it,
to speak out your life?
To tell the tales that show us the truth?
My own is long and full of twists and turns.
Yours is, too.
But there is a thread that connects them all,
a scarlet thread,
that shimmers in the light,
and whistles in the wind,
and takes every abuse we can hurl at it
as we struggle our way to maturity.
That Thread is strong beyond measure,
tensile, tough, unyielding
and yet so very forgiving.
Right now, the Scarlet Thread of my story
weaves its way along the central California coastline,
and these palm trees mark it out.
These long shadows help me know
who I am,
this mighty sea reminds me
of Whose I am.
And the people I love,
the neighbors I live with,
the work I do —
these are the hooks that hold me
in place and through which
this part of my story is being told.
What about you?
How is your story being told right now?
Excellent choice for last entry in this series!
The words dried up, so I went and got a job.
And I no sooner started working than the words came back.
So I kept the job.
And now I find
the story I’ve wanted to tell
finds its way out
more and better
than anything I could have forced.
I’m so glad that the job/words thing is working out, Marilyn!! Looking forward to reading some of those someday. Thanks for your faithfulness in this space, my friend.
I pray my story unfolds
in truth and imperfection
shining light upon His love
this is what you do here
Such kind words, Karin. Thank you very much.
Looking very closely at “…..the hooks that hold me in place….” until my story ends.
Yup, those are where we are at this juncture of the journey. Yours look to be pretty good, Gwen. And I am glad.
I didn’t participate in the 31 Days project but have found much wisdom in your posts, Diana. A life lesson of mine has been discovering the real me under layers of pretence. I’ve mentioned here before that I’m a very private person, but that doesn’t mean I don’t communicate with honesty. It’s sometimes a hard learned lesson… the realization that it’s okay if our story is unique. Being different wasn’t popular when we were young, but it’s something to celebrate now, especially at my age. 😉
I never doubted your ability and willingness to communicate with honesty, Carol. And it is okay that your story is unique – it is, indeed, something to celebrate. I’m not sure I’ll do this 31 day thing again. It’s a tough slog and the readership tends to dwindle a bit. I think getting something from me every day must feel pretty overwhelming at times! Time will tell . . .
never. ever. I would come here twice a day.
I loved this one Esp in light of where I am these days. even wondering if my story will be worth telling after all.
i am grateful for my friends who believe for me when I can’t. My prayer is psalm 138:8.”don’t give up on me yet” — a paraphrase.
Carol, you are such a great cheerleader!! Thanks.
If I named this chapter of my life-story, it would be “Holding Pattern.” I recently retired from teaching after 26 years in the classroom, but am nowhere near ready for a rocking chair! So what’s next? Does the desire of my heart coincide with God’s plan? How long do I pursue the dream and wait for God’s timing?
Meanwhile, during this holding pattern, I am enjoying an abundance of blessings. Many of them are among your list of “permissions” to: disconnect, learn, laugh, re-connect, take a break, read, and create — to name a few! Thank you for this series, Diana, that caused us to consider what is most valuable in life.
I recognize that holding pattern, Nancy. By the grace of God and a whole lot of mistakes, I’ve been in the process of re-inventing myself for the last three years. And learning a ton in the process. I’m about 3/4 of the way through a fine online writing class offered at TweetSpeak Poetry – I highly recommend anything they feature. It’s been a great way for me to learn/practice/pray/re-think the writing part of my life. And I keep going to refresher courses for the spiritual direction part, too. So. . .there truly is life after retirement. God is not done with you yet, Nancy. Count on it.
Catching up on what I missed for all the writing I did last month. I love the way you boldly encourage with such confidence. I’m trying to tell my story and let that scarlet thread shimmer. Yes!
Thanks, Shelly, for stopping by. And your piece of that red thread is one of the brightest out there these days. Keep telling it, okay?