Years ago I was part of a young adult book group. Each month was something different, but usually of a spiritual nature. One author that stuck with us was Anne Lamott. I can clearly remember a member of our group concluding that in order to have something to say about the spiritual life you needed to have a lot of difficult experiences first. He kind of sighed and said he didn't have much to contribute because his life to that point was pretty smooth sailing.
This memory is in stark contrast to what I recently read in Stories that Stick by Kindra Hall. In Hall's framework, the first aspect of a good story is one with an identifiable character. In her thinking, a larger than life character is actually detrimental to a good story, because yor audience can't relate to them. I think back to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and how it never quite captured the magic of the original. One of the reasons is that the characters were almost too perfect, unattainable. Anakin from the very get go had a keen knowledge of the Force. In contrast, his son Luke was your run of the mill farmboy. He could have been anybody, who gradually understood this larger world around him. Luke was an identifiable character - Anakin was larger than life. Despite his flaws and eventual fall to the dark side, I always had a hard time identifying with Anakin, because he was so different.
I share these thoughts with you today because I want to encourage you to tell your own stories. You may think they aren't grand enough, polished enough, or have a big enough transformation. I want you to flip that script and understand that a story that is too grand, or too polished, or has too big of a transformation won't resonate with your audience. Instead, those every day moments of grace and goodness are just the thing that people will connect with. Over time, experiences like these will fit together like the pieces of a puzzle.
In my life it was experiences that involved a piece of Advent chocolate, a quarter placed in an envelope, a Crucifix that was as tall as I was and hearing my grandfathers deep but revenant voice. Another time I was waiting for the school bus while my best friend talked about his First Communion. Then there was a fort that required baptism before I could go into it. These simple, and ordinary, everyday occurrences led me to the place I am today, and molded me into the person I am today.
So the next time you think you have nothing to share, think again. Imagine yourself as Luke Skywalker - not the legendary Jedi Knight, but the farm boy who's biggest desire was to go to Tashi Station to pick up some power converters. That ordinary farm boy was then led into a whole new world. That's the making of a good story, and that's the story you have inside of you.
So please tell your stories, and keep following so you don't miss anything.
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