Question #3. “What’s your story?”
Unfortunately I’m not going to give you the direct answer to this question…partly because I’m not really sure what my story even is…but mostly because it would take forever and a year to try to type it all out. HA!
So you’re probably wondering why the heck I even asked the question. What’s the point if I’m not even going to answer it, right? I guess I don’t really have a point…I more so just want to talk. And write. Writing is my release sometimes.
I realized something recently that sometimes you never really know who a person truly is…People are so good at putting on a front and hiding things. Smiling, laughing, joking…when in truth sometimes it’s just a cover up to hide intense pain, fear, sadness, illness…the list could go on and on. I often wonder if sometimes the people who seem the happiest are really the people that are struggling the most.
A while ago I had the opportunity to have a very meaningful conversation with someone I knew very little about. It was unexpected, yes, but at the time much needed for her as well as myself. We talked about everyone “having a story”, and that sometimes even the people closest to us don’t know our stories. My story is made up of many, many, many different chapters and characters. Some chapters people know about, some chapters people have skipped over and avoided altogether because it was too painful for them to read or be a part of. If they read it, they would have to acknowledge it. And if they acknowledged it…they’d have to confront it. Whether it would be confronting me or something painful in their own past, most people would rather choose to ignore it. Some chapters people have skipped because they just didn’t even know that part existed. Some chapters contain laughter and happiness. Some contain tears. The majority of people have only seen the cover of the story…because the cover is the only thing I have allowed them to become a part of.
There have been times where I’ve thought my story was going to end. Going to change. And through the years my “book” has had many revisions. People have come into my life that have made a profound impact on different chapters in my life… some good–some bad. There have been many times I’ve wanted to rip my story into a million bazillion pieces, throw it in the fire, and call it quits. Start over. Be done. And then I realized that I couldn’t. I couldn’t start the book over. Couldn’t start my life over. I could, however, begin a new chapter…
I’m not ready to share my story. Or even a chapter of it. (Sorry to disappoint 😉 ). However, I came across something in one of the Bible “plans” I read. I wish I could take credit for writing it but unfortunately I cannot. I don’t know who wrote it…but it is truly a beautiful analogy of life…past, present, and future. How it relates to so many of our “stories”. I thought it was fitting to share. Enjoy.
“Life is like a piano: the white keys represent happiness, the black keys show sadness. But as you go through life’s journey, remember that the black keys make music too…”
All of life works together to create the masterpiece that each of us are so brilliantly offered every single day.
The good and the bad in life…both help people to appreciate different facets of life and to live the best life they possibly can.
You can’t only take the good in life and reject the bad because both are tremendous shaping tools to help you live a completely full life…one is the sandpaper of life and the other is the buffer to make it brilliantly shine…both have the powerful ability to refine you. Without BOTH, the melody of life is incomplete…the song isn’t as powerfully sung or played.
When we reject the bad in life, and resent our circumstances, we ultimately reject a higher purpose for our life that can be used to help others. When we attempt to get through a trying time in high speed, we miss out on some life’s most amazing lessons…lessons that can change you. Lessons that can give you a depth you didn’t realize you had. Lessons that can catapult you to a new level of greatness you didn’t even know you had in you to reach.
Lessons during loss, trauma, and disappointments are never fun. They’re uncomfortable, often very devastating, and extremely self-revealing.
Not everybody has the opportunity to find out exactly what they’re made of. We all think we know what we believe, think, and understand about God, relationships, and life…but the most difficult times test everything in life to a great level: your relationship (and loyalty) to God, family, and others…as well as all previously held thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about many topics. Trauma has the potential to forever change a person…for the better or worse.
Think of the song your life is playing. It most likely is a rich combination of both black and white keys.
The flats and sharps (black keys) are the notes in life that threaten and attempt to discourage you, pierce you, and make you ineffective in living life to the fullest.
The white keys are the notes that encourage you and show you just how incredible and amazing life is and how great life can be.
You may not have the ability to choose what keys are playing right now…you may have many black keys that are bringing intense pain. Realize this though: every key that is playing in your life melody today has incredible value. You need both.
Allow the song and the notes of your life to play. Embrace all that is going on in your life. The songs in life always change because life is just one incredible morphing of notes that are there to teach you to enjoy, appreciate, and learn about every facet of life.
There is so much good in life. We all are so blessed…even on our worst days.
If you don’t like the notes that are playing in your life, take the notes to the feet of Jesus and ask Him to help you grow through your hardships. Ask the Great Conductor to change your life to play new music…and to write a new chapter…that will glorify Him as He leads you in life.
We all are responsible to make the best music possible that plays out of our life…and leave the writing of our songs and story in life to Him.
There IS beauty through the black keys in life…but you most likely will have to embrace the tough times and refuse to not allow good to come out of those times.”
I understand this is the first question that I haven’t really answered. But perhaps I made you think…and in the end I guess that is all I was looking for. This entry gives a little more insight into me. It’s honest and frankly a little scary for me. But it also reminds me…and you…that no one’s story is over unless you want it to be. Just because one chapter is ending doesn’t mean another better one can’t be beginning. All chapters…the black and white keys…the good and the bad. They all make up the person. The story. The song.
So tell me…what is YOUR story?
Behind my smile there is a story you would never understand.
Live and Let Go 