Telling Our Stories
I love to lose myself within a story, becoming one of the cast of characters the author has brought to life. Often, I am transported to a different time, culture or way of life. To learn what it is like to be someone else; to walk in their shoes and see the world from their perspective, is a gift that broadens my view of the God who created all things and all people.
Each one of us lives our own story. Should I tell the tale of my life, it would be uniquely mine, as different from yours as one snowflake is from another. And it’s important to tell our stories, not only so that others can hear them but so that our lives are affirmed in the telling.
“Telling our stories is not an end in itself, but an attempt to release ourselves from them, to evolve and grow beyond them. We tell our stories to transform ourselves; to learn about our history and tell our experiences to transcend them; to use our stories to make a difference in our world; to broaden our perspective to see further than normal; to act beyond a story that may have imprisoned or enslaved us; to live more of our spiritual and earthly potential.” - Rachel Freed
Listening to the stories of others is just as important. We never know what the person beside us is walking through until we take the time to listen to their story and really think about what they are saying; holding their truths tenderly, seeing life through their eyes. Listening has the ability to transform us, it can change our hearts toward whole groups of people simply by hearing their stories.
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you not look into his own interest, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4
On April 20th at 7:30 pm you will have a unique opportunity to attend a night of storytelling via Zoom. We will be hosting three very special guests who have graciously agreed to tell their own stories about what it was like to grow up in the church, knowing that they were different, eventually coming to terms with the fact that they were gay.
I encourage you to put a reminder on your calendar and make sure to join us on that evening. You can simply listen in without video if you wish and/or ask questions in the chat. Zoom info will be made available closer to the date. Watch your email and this blog as well as the GUMC.org website or Grace United Methodist church facebook page.
Taking the time to listen to each other brings us closer to God’s heart. God’s desire is for us to be united in his love so that we can bring the story of the good news of Christ to all who don’t know him. We will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth!
Praise be to God!
Peace,
Merryl Dietz.
If you have questions about this event or questions to ask the panelists, email me at merryldietz@verizon.net