Telling Stories

Stories are all around us – in the books we read, the movies we watch, the music we listen to. We are drawn to stories that have particular themes we can relate to. It helps us not feel so alone. We have our own stories to tell, each one of us... war stories, love stories, life stories, birth stories, death stories, etc. We are filled with stories about who we are, about our past, about our relationships. Some stories we want to forget; others we want to always remember; others we just keep repeating and repeating whether we want to or not. Our stories are meant to be told. Telling stories is healing. It helps us feel connected to one another. It helps us learn about ourselves and others. We tell our stories to invite others to know us more deeply; to help us gain more awareness and insight into who we are, where we've come from and where we're heading. Our stories change as we age. How we view life as a child will be different than how we view it as a teenager or as an adult. Therefore we will tell our stories differently through time.

Just as our life can't always be neatly wrapped in a box, the stories of our lives can sometimes be messy, unorganized, unexplained, unredeemed... thus far. Our stories began before we were born and continue on through those we leave behind when we die. We are not done with our stories... we are in process. Our stories change, as we are changed.

Who needs to hear your stories today? Who do you want to invite to hear more of their story?

When you aren't having such a "happy holidays"

Tis the season to be jolly, happy and merry but for a lot of people the holidays are a very difficult time. You may be grieving the loss of a loved one, or struggling with loneliness or broken relationships. There isn't a lot of holiday music, ornaments, or christmas greeting cards that acknowledge this reality. It's okay if you aren't in the Christmas spirit. Pretending that you are will only hinder your healing process. You don't have to have a Christmas tree or decorate your house (unless these things could bring you some comfort rather than exhaust you). You can say no to invitations to Christmas parties. And yet, it may be detrimental for you to isolate yourself. Find a trusted friend or loved one to be real with. You may have to be upfront and tell them what you are needing - a hug, a listening ear, an afternoon away from the kids to see a movie or browse through a bookstore, etc. And then, let safe people be there for you. Start a journal. Rest and take care of yourself. You aren't alone. There is hope. There will be healing. This too is a season.

Issues of trust

Do you have a hard time trusting others? Does this interfere with your relationships? Perhaps you've been hurt by others who you've trusted in the past and as a result you made a vow to yourself (consciously or unconsciously) that never again will you allow yourself to trust. Maybe it's hard to actually follow through with this because we want so much to be able to trust and rest in relationship with others. Or maybe we've hardened our hearts and are constantly at war in our relationships because we struggle to trust. Perhaps we struggle with trust because the person we put our trust in is simply not trustworthy and yet we keep coming back and back hoping this time things will be different and we'll be safe to trust.

Putting our trust in others leaves us vulnerable. That vulnerability opens up painful feelings that we would prefer not to feel. If we don't trust, we say to ourselves, we don't have to hurt when that trust is broken. However living this philosophy often leaves us lonely and tired.

We need to be wise about who we will trust. There truly are people who are not trustworthy. Perhaps the issue to wrestle with is not so much can I trust others but can I trust myself - can I trust myself to know who is trustworthy and who is not? Can I trust myself not to put myself in relationships/situations that only lead to my harm?

What do you think? How do you struggle with the issue of trust?