Recently, I have seen an increasing amount of discussion about “story.” Not just fictional tales, but the unfolding narrative of our lives. For followers of Jesus, understanding the big story of what God is doing in the world can change everything.
Faith becomes more than just a “ticket to heaven” but becomes an invitation into a compelling way of life — an eternal kind of life that begins today and continues on into eternity. Jesus rescues us and — amazing grace! — invites us to join Him in His work of redemption in the world.
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Making Meaning
We want our lives to count, for what we do to matter. In other words, we want our lives to tell a story worth hearing. This is not easy, though. Donald Miller notes in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, we wouldn’t cry at the end of a film about a man whose ultimate goal in life is to buy a Volvo. And yet, all too often, we live those kinds of stories and wonder why it feels kind of empty. From A Million Miles:
If what we choose to do with our lives won’t make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either.
So much of our lives is spent minimizing risk. As a husband and father, I completely understand that — I want stability, success, protection, etc. for my family as much as anyone else. However, building a kingdom of comfort is not compatible with living for the kingdom of God. If our ultimate goal is essentially to own a fleet of Volvos, then we’ve missed out on what makes for a meaningful story.
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More than Stuff
That is not to say that Jesus wants us to be miserably uncomfortable or for us not to take care of our families; simply, that we were made for something more than more stuff. I believe God loves my family more than I could understand and His story is more beautiful than I could dare to dream. And, in the end, if I jump (and even take a fall) for the better story of the Kingdom, I know things will work out.
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Learning to Risk
Sometimes, learning to live a better story requires taking risks. Read part two of my interview with DK Daniel Kim about why he and his family left the comfort of OC today to fight human trafficking in Mexico City for the next two years.
May love, not fear, form the foundation for your decision-making and, in the process, may you learn to live a better story as part of God’s kingdom.
headsparks* 
Curious to hear where you’re hearing conversations overflowing about story.. I know there’s the Story Conference, and Don Miller’s talks and books that weave around narratives…
I found the book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” to be quite powerful for me, to realize how I’m choosing to live _is_ how I’m writing my life story. 2 other thoughts stick with me from the book = ““A general rule in creating stories is that characters don’t want to change. They must be forced to change.” and, this quote I can’t find, but the gist is “I realized I didn’t want to live a life of no consequence.”
DJ – Always love to hear your insights! I should clarify: I think I’m noticing & being impacted by this idea of story more & more. The Story Conference & Donald Miller are definitely two on my radar…
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Some others whose ideas on story and storytelling have influenced me lately:
* Rob Bell discusses story in “Drops Like Stars”
* NT Wright touches on it in “Surprised by Hope”
* Ira Glass from This American Life has a set of brilliant videos on storytelling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7KQ4vkiNUk)
* Several speakers/facilitators at The Ideation shared about the significance of telling stories effectively to mobilize action (Invisible Children, charity: water, etc.)
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“A Million Miles” is chalk-full of great quotes/ideas! I love the ones you pointed out. Another one that has stuck with me is that the story is always harder than you think it will be. Perseverance in the face of hardship changes everything.