I’m a people-loving introvert, which means I won’t be the life of your party, but if I show up, I will corner some outlier for a one-on-one conversation to hear their story -- how they feel about their life, what’s happening in their soul, what their journey’s been like thus far. This makes plenty of people uncomfortable, but I have to say, I’ve enjoyed some deep and meaningful connections while the festivities of the evening are blazing all around us. When I see people, I see stories – I see our common humanity in their eyes – the fears and struggles, the blessings and victories, the doubts and disappointments, hopes and dreams. I believe that if we took more time to hear one another’s stories, there’d be less judgement, less comparison, less fear of our differences. I love that about Jesus. He wouldn’t be satisfied with fleeting Facebook posts or small talk at parties. He knew how to dig in and go deep. I want to be like that, too.
Have you heard of Storyworth? (https://welcome.storyworth.com) It’s an awesome opportunity to learn about someone in a deeper way. I just got a subscription for my dad. He answers a question about himself every week via email (What are your proudest moments? What was your mom like when you were a child? What things matter most to you in your life?) And at the end of a year, all his answers will be printed in a book for us to keep. Every life story matters infinitely, and this is just another way to capture them.