Maya Angelou once said, "There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you." While I agree and think this is a brilliant and deeply insightful quote, I believe that there is even more to this idea of being storied people. To quote a brilliant and slightly nerdy television show I am in love with, "We are all stories in the end." -Doctor Who. When we have come and gone from this earth, besides a little fertilizer, the only thing really left of us is a story, and I truly believe we were meant to live amazing ones, and to not just live, but tell them and inspire, challenge, and uplift others with our stories. We are hard-wired for relationship and community and sharing in each other's lives. It's brilliant!
However, in our culture we have somehow picked up the notion that what's important is being independent and putting on a good show and nice clean facade. The notion that who we are is not good enough and has to be hidden and shoved into the closet when company is coming over. We're also quick to pick up the notion that our stories aren't worth telling. That they're not good enought. That they're too boring, too shamefull, or simply too insignificant to bother others with. Instead of deep conversation and connection, we make small talk and all too often, end up talking about the concocted stories we see on tv or in movies or making up a scandalous story for somebody else's life.
The problem with this is that we aren't maintaining our wiring. We learn through story. We relate to the world through story. We connect with others through story. AND, I believe that we NEED to tell our stories in order to know them ourselves. In the movie, Shall We Dance, Susan Sarandon's character is posed a question by the private detective she has hired to investigate her husband concerning why people get married. She responds, "To have a witness to our lives. Someone who will care about everything. Someone who will say, ‘Your life will not go unnoticed, because I will notice it.’" While, I'm sure that doesn't really completely sum up the reasons for marriage, it does pose a great point. We want more than anything to be truly KNOWN and HEARD. Who we are and how we see ourselves and each other is comprised of those stories that make us up. We are stories. Not only do we need to be living lives that make awesome stories, but I firmly believe that that God uses those stories in amazing ways to change our lives, other's lives, and to jumpstart the next stories he's trying to co-write with our lives.
One thing that I've noticed here in South Africa is that this sharing of oneself and one's stories is so much more practiced. Conversation is deep and meaningful very quickly. Hopes and dreams for the future are big, bold, and beautiful. Let me tell you a few that I have heart that I hope will inspire you to live and tell your own, because there truly is no agony like an untold story.
Beam, the ministry we are working with here in South Africa, is starting a new campus/new project in Mamelodi, which we are blessed to be able to help get off the ground. Pastor Ezekiel is kind of the head there and we were working with some of the amazing youth and adult members of his church to get the word out in the community, but in doing this project, we also were able to spend a lot of walking time getting to know the hearts of each other.
First meet Sami: Sami (no idea if that’s spelled correctly…) is quite a character. He definitely stands out in a crowd with his own unique presence and panash. He is a performer and an artist and a designer and pretty much anything creative he does I think. He was telling us about his dance group that performs shows full of African traditional dances and instruments. Sami also makes his own stylish clothes and is starting a project to create his own clothing line. He doesn’t just want to make it big for himself either. He wants this to be an opportunity for others who make and distribute and are involved in all levels of the process. Sami is truly creating a beautiful tapestry where he is using his creative dreams and talents coupled with his God-given dreams and compassion for his community.
I also met and had an awesome long and deep conversation with two best friends named Liz and Dabego. Liz is 17 and Dabego is 21 and they both have huge hearts for the Lord and are so passionate about following him in their lives and learning more and more. Dabego quizzed me on everything from why Jesus had to die to what love is and this is all within 15 minutes of meeting me for the first time.
Pastor Michael dreams of truly impacting his community with the gospel and becoming a wide-reaching and world-changing evangelist. He is on fire for the Lord and is always talking about the goodness and greatness of God and doesn’t hesitate in asking us for words to encourage him.
Another of the guys with a huge personality is who I am going to call DJ because that is his biggest aspiration and dream. He loves making his own music and wants to travel and learn his craft and then play all over the world, especially in Mexico and Miami.
Now for the last but definitely not least we have Mama Brenda who has been so influential is so many of the lives above. Her dream is to impact the youth of this community and equip and inspire them to follow and attain their dreams and God’s calling upon their lives. She provides them with a true God-filled mother-figure who loves deep and wide and imparts her joy wherever she goes. I believe that her impact is far wider than I could ever imagine. She is investing in a generation.
So, what’s your untold story and what story is God trying to write with your life now? I think there are people out there who need to hear it and people who God wants to be a part of its future.
