Stories Around Us

Everyone loves a good story. From little children in the library at story-time, to elderly people reminiscing of the "good old days", stories are to hear and be told. Books, movies, gossip, you name it, our lives are filled with stories. And the beautiful thing is, we all have one. Everybody has a story to tell, whether they realize it or not.

Anyone who knows me even a little knows that I love to read books. I have been a reader since I knew how, and almost feel lost if I'm not in the middle of one. SOmetimes this confuses people. But, since I'm not really one for gossip and I don't watch a whole lot of TV, this is how I personally get my story fill. CS Lewis even said, "We read to know we are not alone." This statement pretty much captures the entirety of why I read. So I know I am not along. In other words, someone else has thought about these things. Someone else has wondered this, gone through this, been curious about this. Someone else cares enough about this topic to write about it. So why not read it?

But people don't seem to see the stories around them. We float along in our own little world, creating our own words for our own black book, and forget to notice what is around us. Somehow, we each see ourselves as bigger, better, and more important that the rest of the people we see. And because we fail to notice the others around us, we tend to blow them off, to ignore what's inside, to push them away and focus back on ourselves again without even realizing it.

When are we going to stop and realize that we are not the most important people in the world? When are we going to forget about ourselves and start loving our neighbor? Jesus calls us to love those around us, to not judge lest we be judged. And yet gossip still floats, judgment still lurks, and lives are still hurting.

I'm not saying we can fix it all. I'm not trying to be judgmental toward those who are. But I want to know that there are other people that see this hurt like I do, and want to try and change even a little bit. There's a saying (you've probably heard it) that says something about not really knowing a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. That saying didn't get popular just because it sounded cool, it became well known because it's true. Until you've learned even a little about another person's experiences, until you can identify with them even in one small way, there is no hope for you to ever understand them, to ever see past the facade we all tend to wear. Until you know the trials they have encountered, you are in no position to judge them. And often times, you will find that when you do hear their story, you will no longer want to judge.



Part of the reason I want to be a writer is bring stories to light. Yeah, sure, I want to make some up, write novels or whatever, but I also want to tell stories. Tell of experiences I have encountered, tell of experiences others around me have encountered and shared with me, so I can share it with the world. Because words are powerful. And I want to use them to let others know they are not alone.

So stop thinking of only yourself, of making your story. Find someone who wants a listener for theirs, and see what God will teach you through the stories around us.