Your Story Matters

I lie awake sometimes and wonder … Why do I do this? Why do I sit down at the keyboard when the house is sleeping and give life to words? Why do I bare honest struggles and remove my mask for readers to see, for the world to witness? Sure I paint pretty pictures at times, but I also divulge the dark and the messy. I reveal when real struggles abound, and I’m honest about those moments when mothering is hard.

And sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it. Is the transparency worth the risk? Because honestly, it’s often easier to paint a smile on my face and feign perfect contentment. I could do that in my personal relationships, and I could do that here. There wouldn’t be much harm in it really, but there’s not a whole lot of benefit either.

So I tell the stories. I share the gritty and the glorious. I take the risk, and I tap out the words because I think we all thirst for authenticity. And you know what? I think you should too; I think you should take the risk and tell YOUR story. 

Tell your faith story, your motherhood story, your longing-for-motherhood story, your marriage-is-hard-work-but-it’s-worth-it story. Tell where you’ve been and where you’re going. Tell how God has brought you through, or how you’re waiting for Him to carry you through now. Show authenticity. Take off the mask. Break down the walls.

People are hungry for truth and honesty, and they long to connect with authenticity. They want to know they’re not alone in their struggles and the pressures of their daily challenges. People need to hear your perspective, they need to see your journey. They need to grieve in your sadness and celebrate in your triumphs. Because when the forest is too thick or the light too dim, it may just be your truth-telling that pulls them through.

If it’s too hard to tell the whole story, tell part of it … just part of it. Tell it on a blog, in a Bible study, through a song, to a friend over coffee … however best suits your mode of expression. And if you don’t get the response you’d hoped for, keep trying. Swallow your fear, embrace bravery and tell your story again.

Because it matters.
Your story matters.

Your struggles assure others that they’re not alone in their battles, your victories buoy hearts, and your faith walk testifies to the truth that so depserately needs to be heard.

Yes it’s risky. Removing the mask and being authentic always carries some risk. But the risk … ? The risk is worth it. Because your storytelling might just be the impetus someone else needs to remove their own mask and embrace authenticity. 

So tell your story. 

Tell of the peaks and the valleys, the gritty and the glorious, the mundane and the majestic. Be a truth-teller: testify to grace, hope and redemption. And then after you’ve spoken … after you’ve said yes to bravery and tasted of transparency … listen. And it’s then that you just may hear others finding the courage to do the same.

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Like what you see here? Then you’ll love my first-ever children’s book, Bruce the Brave. Now available on Amazon! 

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